Reviews By Martha's Bookshelf

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Sunday Words of Encouragement February 26, 2012

We will not make church this morning as we are driving the seven and a half hours from South Florida to home. I don't expect to have internet access on the drive so I have prepared this ahead of time.
This is a song our choir sang at Christmas but it fits for anytime.

Love came gently, soft, as a Baby born to a lowly virgin girl

Wrapped in rags and laid in a manger, love came gently to our world.

Only shepherds and the wisest found Him beneath the star so bright.

While the nations lay deep in slumber, love came gently in the night.

No applause, no fanfare of trumpets heralding hope had come to earth.

For the Promise tenderly answered, choosing instead a humble birth.

Love came gently, sweetly to save us, knowing the price He'd have to pay.

And to all who trust in the Savior, love comes gently..........

love comes gently, love comes gently still today.

A Verse for Today:

John 8:12 NIV

¹² When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

A thought prayer for today:
Jesus, you are the light of the world. May your light shine brightly so we can see you everywhere. Help us to spread your light and joy by giving freely and happily to all we meet.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Sharing Beyond Books #37 Comment Giveaway 2/25/12

Welcome to another Saturday SBB. I had another busy week and wasn't sure if I could get on tonight to get this post up. But - here I am. :-).

Thank you to all those who commented last week.
Only two or three people would collect a full series before beginning to read and several readers like to read a series back to back. Everyone else would just jump in (or, as Julie says: "dive in") to series books. Most of you would read them as you can get them. Not a patient group here - as Abby admitted. LOL!

The chore picked most (9x) was folding laundry, followed by dusting (5x), then vacuuming (3x). Julie didn't pick a chore because she was assigning them among her 5 children! Mystica and Marybelle sweep rather than vacuum... I love learning differences about our countries and cultures like that! Now LindaK is allergic to dust so she chooses not to disturb it. I don't really think that works does it?? I ended up dusting first so then I could vacuum. As Mamabunny said, I don't want dust falling on clean floors. Abby had an idea though using the vacuum to dust but then you have to put on a brush or special attachment. I like to use a Grab It or similar dusting cloth to get nooks and crannies.

~~~~

The Winner from SBB #36 comments is: #13 Dusia. There are still 8 'love' books to pick from, 2 Christmas choices and 1 Summer title below. Dusia please let me know if you want a GC (if you are international) 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 #37 Questions

Q1. This week Louisa asks: Of all the bedrooms that you've had, which one is your favourite, and why??

A: Jeepers Louisa- that is not an easy question when you've lived as long as I have and have had many bedrooms! :-) I do really like our current bedroom because it is big. We have room for a coffee pot and we have an outside balcony. But thinking back I did love my bedroom when I was 5 to 12. We lived on a farm in a very large house. My room overlooked a small hill in front of our house and the side garden where the daffodils grew. The best part was my roomy brass bed covered with my stuffed animals. I would crawl in and out of the covers so I didn't mess them up and the bed was easy to make. Plus I have a fond memory of my favorite cat trusting me enough to have her kittens on my bed when I was about 10 years old.

Image found at Antique Restoration

Q2. I'll ask a book question this week: What was the last occasion you gave a book as a gift (other than a book giveaway) and/or what was the book??

A: I gave my review copy of I NeverThought I'd See the Day!: Culture at The Crossroads by David Jeremiah to my Pastor because I thought he would enjoy it. No special occasion.

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. :-) The question list is being replenished! Thanks for sending in questions! The question submitters for February have been:
Emily, Margaret, Carol L. and Louisa. The winner of a book pick for February is: Margaret

Your turn to share:

1. Louisa asks: Of all the bedrooms that you've had, which one is your favourite, and why??

2. What was the last occasion you gave a book as a gift (other than a book giveaway) and/or what was the book??

SBB Comment Winners can choose a selection from the remaining Valentine and "Love" books or the remaining Christmas Giveaway Books - there are still about 10 books available plus 1 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, March 3, 2012 at 10 PM central.

Two Winners of The Whisperer

CONGRATULATIONS TO TWO WINNERS:
Giveaway 2 Copies of The Whisperer Ends 2/24

TIFFANY

and

LILLIAN

ALL WINNERS please fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form and so I can get the books mailed out. Please reply within 72 hours!

Book Review: The Canker Death by James R. Bottino

This unusual, well written fantasy left me with mixed feelings.

The Canker Death

by James R. Bottino

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 836 KB
Publisher: Septimus Press (August 22, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B005IOMWPY

Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: 3.0 of 5.0

Product Description

When the reclusive, cynical systems administrator, Petor Fidelistro, discovers that one of his own servers has been cracked late one night, he makes it his personal business to track down the perpetrator. What his search uncovers thrusts him, unaware, into a mad shifting between worlds, time and alien minds.

Fighting to keep his grip on reality, and forcing him to cope with his past, Petor finds himself uncontrollably transitioning between sentient minds that range from semi-conscious to dominant, from beings whose bodies and identities he can control, to those who control him so fully as to be unaware of his presence. As the story unfolds, Petor gathers clues in a twisting mystery that sends him shifting between the mourning child Nanzicwital; the golem giant Faskin; the lascivious, female ambassador Desidia; and Nokinis, an insane prisoner with whom Petor battles for mastery of his own memories. As he struggles to make sense of what is happening to him, Petor finds himself embroiled in the tumultuous upheaval of a ubiquitous society that transcends life, itself.

Review:

This is a well told and interesting story but I never figured out where it was heading or more importantly the end purpose. Let me address the positives first. The story is nicely written with very good flow and a good mix of action with some philosophical musings. The characters are delightful, especially the protagonist Petor and his four distinct and unique alien hosts (each identified in the blurb above). Also Petor has three good friends in his adventures. These are Faith, a human like female, with whom he is infatuated; Arrs, an almost human like male, who is the bold warrior and his female host’s (Desidia’s) lover and protector; and Pencha, another fierce creature, a mix of gorilla and black cat, who was once an enemy but is at times a friend. Then there is the very evil puppet master against whom the others, as a “counsel”, fight. The puppet master may be compared to Satan as an almost all knowing malevolent entity who manipulates those he touches to cause hatred, strife and even the massacre of whole species.

All of this is quite engaging but I had problems. The book is very long at 8476 in Kindle mode compared to a 419 page novel of 3846 pages on the Kindle. Even though I enjoyed the characters and found the story interesting I kept wondering where it was going and what was the point. I pushed through because I was committed. Petor has a past history of a few years in a mental asylum and I at times wondered if he was imagining all of the fantasy in a madness mode. I was glad that wasn't the explanation. There is a final confrontation with the evil one and maybe I was disappointed because I didn’t like the outcome. But the real problem was I didn’t understand the purpose. Then again, maybe it was just an entertaining story that had an ending that I didn't like because it didn't make sense to me..

Even if a story is merely for entertainment, I like it to have an understandable resolution. This story seemed to be trying to make a statement: about our souls, our perceived religions, or perhaps on one’s lack of control in life. There are brief discussions of politics (like krytocracy - rule by judges), religions and reincarnation. But in the end I didn’t get it. At best it seemed a message of no hope: “There was no hope, and there could be no hope.” location 8476. That is unsatisfactory to me. I admit, as an attorney my brain is pretty pragmatic rather than creative and although I liked the fantasy, I was confused on where this ended. Perhaps other readers would get more from this, which seems the case from the good ratings that can be found at Amazon. Perhaps if I was willing to read this a second time, (which I can’t say I am at this time), I might understand more. Unfortunately, when I finished this long book after four days, I was left flat and disappointed.

Thank you to the author and Pump Up Your Book Blog Tours for this book to read and review.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway 2/24/12

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

Sorry to be late posting - this almost became a Saturday post this week! I had another busy week and then drove Thursday night to So Florida for a closing with no internet access last night or this morning. I visited with family for dinner so I didn't get back to internet until tonight.

I do plan to get those gift packages posted for giveaway soon - hopefully work will be at least a bit quieter this coming week.

I didn't get time to get the pictures of the book sets this week but I am determined to get some new books up by next week!

Thank you to all who entered February 17 Pick. There were NO Automatic winner this week (those who requested the book four times and I did not note other people asking for that book during those weeks). Three book choices were blocked. :-(

CONGRATULATIONS

to Random.org picked Winners from February 17 Pick:

Abby gets a GC
and

Krystal chose Uneasy Alliance

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 and I have a new supply of sweet bookmarks.

Here's one last interesting book heart image!
Made from Harlequin books.
Found at thingiesilike

New Group #25 January 12, 2012

*Smaller books on the right would be okay for most international mailing.

~~Endless Chain by Emilie Richards~~

~~Baby and All (3 Novels in 1) by Candace Camp, Victoria Pade and Myrna Mackenzie~~

Leopards Kill by Jim DeFelice

~~Thinner by Stephen King~~

Category 7 by Bill Evans and Marianna Jameson

Dangerous Lady by Amanda Scott

November of the Heart by Lavyrle Spencer

Long Way Home (Friends Romance Series) by Wendy Corsi Staub

Hell's Belle by Jane Holleman

Foundation (Foundation Novels) by Isaac Asimov

The Firebird Deception (Silhouette Bombshell) by Cate Dermody

*Shadow Rider: Apache Sundown by Jory Sherman

*Prime Time by Sandra Brown

*Silent Night by Mary Higgins Clark

*Out of the Blue (Allegheny Hopes) by Janice A. Thompson

*A McKaslin Homecoming by Jillian Hart

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.)

~~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~~

~~Sunset Bay by Susan Mallery~~

The Wedding Wager by Cathy Maxwell

~~Moon Racer by Constance O'Banyon~~

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)

Emily's Good Nightmare by Cosmic Debris Cosmic

Death Angel by Linda Howard

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)

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

~~Disguised Blessing~~

~~Rhapsody: A Love Story~~

Primary Colors - audio tapes

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 posted 24 groups of 16 books to find new homes! (Nov 2011)

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 311 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

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