Mailbox Monday February 28th

The reason why I love Mondays -- Mailbox Monday hosted this month by the Library of Clean Reads. Below are the review copies I received this week:

1) A Mountain of Crumbs by Elena Gorokhova. Publisher's Summary. Elena Gorokhova's A Mountain of Crumbs is the moving story of a Soviet girl who discovers the truths adults are hiding from her and the lies her homeland lives by. Elena's country is no longer the majestic Russia of literature or the tsars, but a nation struggling to retain its power and its pride. Born with a desire to explore the world beyond her borders, Elena finds her passion in the complexity of the English language—but in the Soviet Union of the 1960s such a passion verges on the subversive. Elena is controlled by the state the same way she is controlled by her mother, a mirror image of her motherland: overbearing, protective, difficult to leave. In the battle between a strong-willed daughter and her authoritarian mother, the daughter, in the end, must break free and leave in order to survive.

Through Elena's captivating voice, we learn not only the stories of Russian family life in the second half of the twentieth century, but also the story of one rebellious citizen whose curiosity and determination finally transport her to a new world. It is an elegy to the lost country of childhood, where those who leave can never return.

2) The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok. Publisher's Summary. " People have abandoned their loved ones for much less than you've been through," Mira BartÓk is told at her mother's memorial service. It is a poignant observation about the relationship between Mira, her sister, and their mentally ill mother. Before she was struck with schizophrenia at the age of nineteen, beautiful piano protÉgÉ Norma Herr had been the most vibrant personality in the room. She loved her daughters and did her best to raise them well, but as her mental state deteriorated, Norma spoke less about Chopin and more about Nazis and her fear that her daughters would be kidnapped, murdered, or raped.

When the girls left for college, the harassment escalated—Norma called them obsessively, appeared at their apartments or jobs, threatened to kill herself if they did not return home. After a traumatic encounter, Mira and her sister were left with no choice but to change their names and sever all contact with Norma in order to stay safe. But while Mira pursued her career as an artist—exploring the ancient romance of Florence, the eerie mysticism of northern Norway, and the raw desert of Israel—the haunting memories of her mother were never far away.

Then one day, Mira's life changed forever after a debilitating car accident. As she struggled to recover from a traumatic brain injury, she was confronted with a need to recontextualize her life—she had to relearn how to paint, read, and interact with the outside world. In her search for a way back to her lost self, Mira reached out to the homeless shelter where she believed her mother was living and discovered that Norma was dying.

Mira and her sister traveled to Cleveland, where they shared an extraordinary reconciliation with their mother that none of them had thought possible. At the hospital, Mira discovered a set of keys that opened a storage unit Norma had been keeping for seventeen years. Filled with family photos, childhood toys, and ephemera from Norma's life, the storage unit brought back a flood of previous memories that Mira had thought were lost to her forever.

The Memory Palace is a breathtaking literary memoir about the complex meaning of love, truth, and the capacity for forgiveness among family. Through stunning prose and original art created by the author in tandem with the text, The Memory Palace explores the connections between mother and daughter that cannot be broken no matter how much exists—or is lost—between them.

Both thanks to Simon and Schuster!

3) Sealing the Deal by Diana Kirschner. Publisher's Summary. Love Mentor Dr. Diana offers revolutionary advice for finding-and keeping-the one you love:

* Create irresistible attraction and an atmosphere that men love to be around.
* Find out the single most important thing you can do to get a sincere commitment from the guy you want.
* Keep that crazy-in-love feeling going, no matter how long you've been together.
* Learn the secret to instantly resolving conflict with your man.
* Know when to have "the talk": Don't think it matters when you bring it up? Think again.
* Avoid the biggest mistake women make when he's "not ready" for a commitment
* Get your relationship back and better than ever, even if he has cheated

If you have love problems, Dr. Diana has the solutions. This book is your key to creating your own happiest-ever-after now.

Thanks to Hachette Book Group!

Fed Up Giveaway Ends Today (2/26)

Be sure to get your entry in here.

Miss Hildreth Wore Brown Giveaway (ends 3/12)

Author's Summary. While Olivia deBelle Byrd was repeating one of her many Southern stories for the umpteenth time, her long-suffering husband looked at her with glazed over eyes and said, “Why don’t you write this stuff down?” Thus was born Miss Hildreth Wore Brown—Anecdotes of a Southern Belle. If the genesis for a book is to shut your wife up, I guess that’s as good as any.

On top of that, Olivia’s mother had burdened her with one of those Southern middle names kids love to make fun. To see “deBelle” printed on the front of a book seemed vindication for all the childhood teasing.

With storytelling written in the finest Southern tradition from the soap operas of Chandler Street in the quaint town of Gainesville, Georgia, to a country store on the Alabama state line, Olivia deBelle Byrd delves with wit and amusement into the world of the Deep South with all its unique idiosyncrasies and colloquialisms.

The characters who dance across the pages range from Great-Aunt Lottie Mae, who is as “old-fashioned and opinionated as the day is long,” to Mrs. Brewton, who calls everyone “dahling” whether they are darling or not, to Isabella with her penchant for mint juleps and drama.

Humorous anecdotes from a Christmas coffee, where one can converse with a lady who has Christmas trees with blinking lights dangling from her ears, to Sunday church, where a mink coat is mistaken for possum, will delight Southerners and baffle many a non-Southerner. There is the proverbial Southern beauty pageant, where even a six-month-old can win a tiara, to a funeral faux pas of the iron clad Southern rule—one never wears white after Labor Day and, dear gussy, most certainly not to a funeral.

Miss Hildreth Wore Brown—Anecdotes of a Southern Belle is guaranteed to provide an afternoon of laugh-out-loud reading and hilarious enjoyment.

Giveaway Rules: Today I pleased to be able to offer one lucky reader an autographed copy of this fantastic book!

Metroreader Google followers only.
Canadian and US residents only.

Entry: Comment with your email address in the body of the comment (you can list it as mary123 (at) yahoo(dot)com). If you do not list your email address your entry will not count.

Extra Entries: Sign up to follow my blog (or let me know that you are a current follower); follow me on twitter (DCMetroreader) and on Facebook (Metroreader). NOTE: These extra entries MUST be left in a separate comment or will not count.

Giveaway ends 3/12. Good Luck!

Mailbox Monday February 21st President's Day

The reason why I love Mondays -- Mailbox Monday hosted this month by the Library of Clean Reads. This week was a light week for books as I only received one for review:

1) An Anchor for the Soul by Ray Pritchard. Publisher's Summary. An Anchor for the Soul is written with doubters, seekers, and skeptics in mind. In a clear, straightforward presentation, Pastor Pritchard answers questions such as: What is God like? How can I know Him? Who is Jesus and what did He do? What does it mean to be a Christian? Through stories and illustrations, Pastor Pritchard very personally, yet gently, challenges his readers with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Thanks to the Publicist!

Eating Animals Giveaway Ends Today!

If you would like to win a copy, make your entry here.

Goodnight Tweetheart

Publisher's Summary. Abigail Donovan has a lot of stuff she should be doing. Namely writing her next novel. A bestselling author who is still recovering from a near Pulitzer Prize win and the heady success that follows Oprah's stamp of approval, she is stuck at Chapter Five and losing confidence daily. But when her publicist signs her up for a Twitter account, she's intrigued. What's all the fuss?

Taken under the wing of one of her Twitter followers, "MarkBaynard"—a quick witted, quick-typing professor on sabbatical—Abby finds it easy to put words out into the world 140 characters at a time. And once she gets a handle on tweets, retweets, direct messages, hashtags, and trends, she starts to feel unblocked in writing and in life. After all, why should she be spending hours in her apartment staring at her TweetDeck and fretting about her stalled career when Mark is out there traveling the world and living?

Or is he?

Told almost entirely in tweets and DMs, Goodnight Tweetheart is a truly modern take on a classic tale of love and loss—a Griffin and Sabine for the Twitter generation.

Review. The fall from being anointed by Oprah to holding book readings for an audience of none is a steep, but familiar one for author Abigail Donovan. Four years ago the first time novelist hit the literary jackpot: Oprah’s seal of approval. Fame, fortune, and almost a Pulitzer followed in rapid succession. Nearly half a decade later, fame is a distant memory, the fortune nearly gone, and the publisher has terminated its contract for Donovan’s services. Her fall from literary grace is due to a severe case of writer’s paralysis which renders Donovan unable to finish the new novel.

On the hunch of creating a little social media magic, her publicist opens a Twitter account for Donovan. A timid Donovan enters the twittering world and quickly gains her first follower: MarkBaynard, a globetrotting, divorced, English professor. The Twitter veteran teaches Donovan the twitter ropes and a lot more. MarkBaynard seems to be just what the doctor ordered for the romantic hermit Donovan. Aided by a mutual love of arcane pop culture trivia the verbal sparks (of a 140 characters of less) fly between the singletons. She falls head over heals, but eventually discovers (surprise surprise) that the online man is different than the real one.

Goodnight Tweetheart by Teresa Medeiros is primarily written in tweets between Donovan and MarkBaynard. The tweets reminded me of what Tracy and Hepburn might write if they were on Twitter. I also enjoyed the multitude of pop culture references n the tweets, but wondered how Mederiros pulled herself away from the TV set long enough to author the novel. I was less enamored with the storyline between Donovan and MarkBaynard. Several times I had to actively suspend disbelief with Donovan’s actions as they seemed highly implausible for any woman – much less a known author. This did not, however, prevent me from enjoying the novel.

Goodnight Tweetheart is an engaging read so long as one is not troubled with pesky notions of real life behavior.



Publisher: Gallery; Original edition (December 14, 2010), 240 pages.
Advance review copy provided courtesy of the publisher.

Winners!

Congrats to the winners of the following giveaways & happy reading!

Oogy
turboterp
aaron_amanda

Peace and Plenty
theluckyladybug
headlessfowl
nicolesender

Get Energy
cookster77
susansmoaks
joannelong74

The Brave
teakettle58
coffeeandabookchick

Guest Post: Oliva deBelle Byrd

A ROMP THROUGH THE DEEP SOUTH

While Olivia deBelle Byrd was repeating one of her many Southern stories for the umpteenth time, her long-suffering husband looked at her with glazed over eyes and said, “Why don’t you write this stuff down?” Thus was born Miss Hildreth Wore Brown—Anecdotes of a Southern Belle. If the genesis for a book is to shut your wife up, I guess that’s as good as any.

On top of that, Olivia’s mother had burdened her with one of those Southern middle names kids love to make fun. To see “deBelle” printed on the front of a book seemed vindication for all the childhood teasing.

What began as a quest of a husband to keep his wife quiet segued into a collection of Southern stories assembled as a Christmas gift for her children. Thirty-one months and fourteen rejection letters later, Miss Hildreth Wore Brown—Anecdotes of a Southern Belle was published by an independent New York publisher.

Thus was the beginning of Miss Hildreth which is a humorous, satirical romp through my Southern life. I like to call it real-life fiction as all the people, places and events are real but like all good Southern stories exaggeration and embellishment have been added to these real events. Because they are actual occurrences, the reader is drawn into the warmth and familiarity of the characters and their stories. What Southern mother has not threatened her offspring with grits and water for supper if that thank you note does not get written? What quaint Southern town does not have a grand dame who wears turbans and dark sunglasses and calls everyone “dahling” whether they are darling or not? Where else but the South can a mink be mistaken for possum?

Being raised by a Southern father and grandmother of great wit, humor flowed as freely as water from a faucet in our household. More years into adulthood then I am going to reveal, when prodded by my husband’s bid to shush me I put pen to paper, the stories poured forth as though an age-old tap had been discovered and turned on. With hours of sweat, spoonfuls of tenacity, and several strokes of plain good fortune, the amusement and idiosyncrasies that are so unique to the Deep South came to life on the pages of Miss Hildreth Wore Brown-Anecdotes of a Southern Belle. The stories are punctuated with everyday mishaps that Southerners seem to have a knack for turning into entertainment. It turns out Bostonians do not always appreciate being called “ma’am” and New Yorkers can have Southern manners.

My humorous foray through Southern life has led me into a joyous romp through the land of authors and readers. As an old reader and a new writer, it warms the cockles of my Southern heart to know there are so many book lovers in this world. Through books, we become what we dream, we are educated and inspired, we travel into the souls of characters and find ourselves. To be a new author in the presence of so many creative minds has been a gift. To be in the presence of so many lovers and readers of books has been an inspiration. I believe deeply in the written word. Very simply, it gives meaning and beauty to life.

Olivia deBelle Byrd is a self-proclaimed Southern Belle who resides in Panama City, Florida, with her husband, Tommy. She is the author of Miss Hildreth Wore Brown—Anecdotes of a Southern Belle, which is her first collection of satirical essays.
www.oliviadebellebyrd.com

Mr. Funny Pants Giveaway (ends March 5th)

Publisher's Summary. I was at my wit's end. I'd had enough of this job, this life, and my relationship had broken up. Should I eat chocolate, or go to India, or fall in love? Then I had a revelation: Why not do all three, in that order? And so it was that I embarked on a journey that was segmented into three parts and was then made into a major motion picture. Later, I woke up on an airplane with a hole in my face and a really bad hangover. I was ushered brusquely off the plane by my parents who took me to a rehab where I tested positive for coke, classic coke, special k (the drug), Special K (the cereal), mushrooms, pepperoni, and Restless Leg Syndrome. It was there that I first began painting with my feet.

But rewind...the year was 1914. I was just a young German soldier serving in the trenches while simultaneously trying to destroy an evil ring with some help from an elf, a troll, and a giant sorcerer, all while cooking every recipe out of a Julia Child cookbook. What I'm trying to say is that there was a secret code hidden in a painting and I was looking for it with this girl who had a tattoo of a dragon! Let me clarify, it was the 1930s and a bunch of us were migrating out of Oklahoma, and I was this teenage wizard/CIA operative, okay? And, um then I floated off into the meta-verse as a ball of invisible energy that had no outer edge...

Ugh, okay. None of this is true. I'm just kind of a normal guy from New Jersey who moved to New York, got into comedy, wrote this book about trying to write this book, and then moved to Alaska, became the mayor of a small town, spent $30,000 on underwear, and now I'm going to rule the world!!!

Giveaway Rules. Today I am giving away TWO copies of this entertaining book!

Entry: Comment with your email address in the body of the comment (you can list it as mary123 (at) yahoo(dot)com). If you do not list your email address your entry will not count.

Extra Entries: Sign up to follow my blog (or let me know that you are a current follower); follow me on twitter (DCMetroreader) and on Facebook (Metroreader). NOTE: These extra entries MUST be left in a separate comment or will not count.

The giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents only.
You must be 18 years of age or older.
NO P.O. Boxes for the winner’s mailing address.
Limit one winner per household regardless of the site won from.

Giveaway ends March 5th . Good Luck!

Mailbox Monday -- February 14th

Happy Valentine's Day! The reason why I love Mondays -- Mailbox Monday hosted this month by the Library of Clean Reads. Below are the review copies I received this week:

1) Miss Hildreth Wore Brown by Olivia deBelle Byrd. Author's Summary. While Olivia deBelle Byrd was repeating one of her many Southern stories for the umpteenth time, her long-suffering husband looked at her with glazed over eyes and said, “Why don’t you write this stuff down?” Thus was born Miss Hildreth Wore Brown—Anecdotes of a Southern Belle. If the genesis for a book is to shut your wife up, I guess that’s as good as any.

On top of that, Olivia’s mother had burdened her with one of those Southern middle names kids love to make fun. To see “deBelle” printed on the front of a book seemed vindication for all the childhood teasing.

With storytelling written in the finest Southern tradition from the soap operas of Chandler Street in the quaint town of Gainesville, Georgia, to a country store on the Alabama state line, Olivia deBelle Byrd delves with wit and amusement into the world of the Deep South with all its unique idiosyncrasies and colloquialisms.
The characters who dance across the pages range from Great-Aunt Lottie Mae, who is as “old-fashioned and opinionated as the day is long,” to Mrs. Brewton, who calls everyone “dahling” whether they are darling or not, to Isabella with her penchant for mint juleps and drama.

Humorous anecdotes from a Christmas coffee, where one can converse with a lady who has Christmas trees with blinking lights dangling from her ears, to Sunday church, where a mink coat is mistaken for possum, will delight Southerners and baffle many a non-Southerner. There is the proverbial Southern beauty pageant, where even a six-month-old can win a tiara, to a funeral faux pas of the iron clad Southern rule—one never wears white after Labor Day and, dear gussy, most certainly not to a funeral.

Miss Hildreth Wore Brown—Anecdtoes of a Southern Belle is guaranteed to provide an afternoon of laugh-out-loud reading and hilarious enjoyment.

Thanks to the author!

2) Mr. Funny Pants by Michael Showalter. Publisher's Summary. I was at my wit's end. I'd had enough of this job, this life, and my relationship had broken up. Should I eat chocolate, or go to India, or fall in love? Then I had a revelation: Why not do all three, in that order? And so it was that I embarked on a journey that was segmented into three parts and was then made into a major motion picture. Later, I woke up on an airplane with a hole in my face and a really bad hangover. I was ushered brusquely off the plane by my parents who took me to a rehab where I tested positive for coke, classic coke, special k (the drug), Special K (the cereal), mushrooms, pepperoni, and Restless Leg Syndrome. It was there that I first began painting with my feet.

But rewind...the year was 1914. I was just a young German soldier serving in the trenches while simultaneously trying to destroy an evil ring with some help from an elf, a troll, and a giant sorcerer, all while cooking every recipe out of a Julia Child cookbook. What I'm trying to say is that there was a secret code hidden in a painting and I was looking for it with this girl who had a tattoo of a dragon! Let me clarify, it was the 1930s and a bunch of us were migrating out of Oklahoma, and I was this teenage wizard/CIA operative, okay? And, um then I floated off into the meta-verse as a ball of invisible energy that had no outer edge...

Ugh, okay. None of this is true. I'm just kind of a normal guy from New Jersey who moved to New York, got into comedy, wrote this book about trying to write this book, and then moved to Alaska, became the mayor of a small town, spent $30,000 on underwear, and now I'm going to rule the world!!!

Thanks to Hachette Book Group!

Sunday Salon

Good morning/Good afternoon my fellow Bloggers! This week I visited the Newseum. I've been before, but I took some friends that were of differing age groups and interests, and the Newseum seems to appeals to everyone with its 4-D theatre; historical front pages; continuous news clips of historical events (i.e. Kennedy's assignation, Neil Armstrong walking on the moon etc.) as well as special, temporary, exhibits (the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and Elvis are two that are currently featured). If you are in the D.C. area, I highly recommend checking out the Newseum (Note: It is a fee musuem, but check the website as they sometimes have special coupons).

Reading Update: This week I finished The Radleys (review posted) and started on Something to Prove. Ongoing reads: War and Peace for my book challenge and Life (audio version) by Keith Richards.

Have a great reading week!

No Strings Attached

Just in time for your Valentine’s Day viewing pleasure, my review of the new rom-com No Strings Attached.

At the film’s beginning, the lead characters, Adam (Ashton Kutcher) and Emmaa (Natalie Portman), intersect at pivotal moments -- summer camp, college, and as young professionals. Although Kutcher and Portman “click” they never take it to the next level, but pass like ships in the night. When Kutcher’s longtime girlfriend dumps him in favor of his Hollywood actor-father (played by an over-the-top Kevin Kline), a very drunken Kutcher calls every number in his smartphone looking for a bit of female comfort. He reaches Portman who takes pity and allows him to crash on her sofa for the night. Once again sparks fly between the pair, but this time they give into them. Portman, however, doesn’t want a serious relationship, so they become “friends with benefits.” Kutcher is fine with this for awhile, but eventually wants more. A lot of drama follows while Portman decides if she wants more too.

I found Kutcher and Portman to be individually appealing and attractive, but together lacked chemistry. Perhaps, this was due to their height difference (think Abraham Lincoln to Mary Todd Lincoln) or maybe because I never understood why Portman didn’t want a real relationship. At one point Portman’s widowed mother (Talia Balsam – Random factoid: in real life she was once Mrs. George Clooney (and according to Clooney will be the only woman to hold that title)) tells Portman that she doesn’t have to “be strong” for her anymore. But I never really bought this as it had been many years since Portman’s father had died and she didn’t even live in the same town as her mother, so why the need for the stiff upper lip?

Still I loved the supporting cast in No Strings Attached, especially Kline as the aging, but harmless lothario and Portman’s roommate Shira (played by Mindy Kaling). In fact, Kline and Kaling stole every scene they were in -- with laughs or in Kline’s case an occasional tug of the heart strings.

No Strings Attached is a breezy date flick with solid laughs thanks to Kline and Kaling.

The Radleys

Publisher's Summary. Just about everyone knows a family like the Radleys. Many of us grew up next door to one. They are a modern family, averagely content, averagely dysfunctional, living in a staid and quiet suburban English town. Peter is an overworked doctor whose wife, Helen, has become increasingly remote and uncommunicative. Rowan, their teenage son, is being bullied at school, and their anemic daughter, Clara, has recently become a vegan. They are typical, that is, save for one devastating exception: Peter and Helen are vampires and have—for seventeen years—been abstaining by choice from a life of chasing blood in the hope that their children could live normal lives.

One night, Clara finds herself driven to commit a shocking—and disturbingly satisfying—act of violence, and her parents are forced to explain their history of shadows and lies. A police investigation is launched that uncovers a richness of vampire history heretofore unknown to the general public. And when the malevolent and alluring Uncle Will, a practicing vampire, arrives to throw the police off Clara's trail, he winds up throwing the whole house into temptation and turmoil and unleashing a host of dark secrets that threaten the Radleys' marriage.

The Radleys is a moving, thrilling, and radiant domestic novel that explores with daring the lengths a parent will go to protect a child, what it costs you to deny your identity, the undeniable appeal of sin, and the everlasting, iridescent bonds of family love. Read it and ask what we grow into when we grow up, and what we gain—and lose—when we deny our appetites.

Review. Meet the Radleys: patriarch Peter, a middle-aged, harried, physician, who worries that he is growing old in a loveless marriage; matriarch Helen, an upper-middle class village (suburban) housewife, who is struggling to hold the family together; and their two teenage children, son, Rowan, who is routinely bullied by his peers and suffers from chronic insomnia and skin rashes, and daughter, Clara, who is suffering from severe physical side effects due to her recent conversion to veganism.

All in all the Radleys are a fairly normal English family, save for the fact that they are vampires. The younger Radleys are unaware of their genetic heritage because their parents have been 12-stepping -- abstaining from the vampire life -- for seventeen years. One night, however, Clara accidentally uncovers the family secret. Thereafter, the elder Radleys are forced to disclose to their children their vampire identities; confront lingering issues from the past (namely, Helen’s infatuation with Will, Peter’s older brother and a practicing vampire); and embrace an uncertain future as to how to live in an unblood (human) world while still being true to themselves.

The Radleys by Matt Haig, is not your typical vampire novel in the sense that the characters’ “vampireness” could be replaced with any malady or affliction and the novel would still work (although the jokes wouldn’t be as funny). In fact, the book reads in many parts like satire on chemical dependency recovery programs except that here the addiction is to blood not drugs or alcohol. Throughout the novel, passages from The Abstainer’s Handbook are quoted. For example, one way to overcome OBT (overwhelming blood thirst) is to “Watch golf. Watching certain outdoor sports on TV, such as golf or cricket, have been known to reduce the likelihood of an attack.” Another passage urges the abstainer to: “Confine your imagination. Do not lose yourself in dangerous daydreams . . . Fill your diary with harmless social activities. By doing we stop ourselves imagining. And imagining for us is a fast-moving car heading toward a cliff.”

Of course, blood addicts are different from other addicts. Whereas most recovering addicts are better off kicking their addictions, the Radleys are miserable in their abstaining lifestyle. One underlying theme of the novel is how to be one’s authentic self even if this out of the mainstream.

The Radleys is at times tongue-and-cheek and at other times fairly serious, but always an engaging read!



Publisher: Free Press (December 28, 2010), 384 pages.
Advance review copy provided courtesy of the publisher.

Fed Up Audiobook Giveaway -- Ends 2/26

Publisher's Summary. But we are fed up with being over-taxed and over-regulated. We are tired of being told how much salt to put on our food, what kind of cars we can drive, what kinds of guns we can own, what kind of prayers we are allowed to say and where we can say them, what we are allowed to do to elect political candidates, what kind of energy we can use, what doctor we can see. What kind of nation are we becoming? I fear it's the very kind the Colonists fought against.

But perhaps most of all, we are fed up because deep down we know how great America has always been, how many great things the people do in spite of their government, and how great the nation can be in the future if government will just get out of the way.

Our fight is clear. We must step up and retake the reins of our government from a Washington establishment that has abused our trust. We must empower states to fight for our beliefs, elect only leaders who are on our team, set out to remind our fellow Americans why liberty is guaranteed in the Constitution, and take concrete steps to take back our country. The American people have never sat idle when liberty's trumpet sounds the call to battle-and today that battle is for the soul of America.

Giveaway Rules. Today I am giving away TWO copies of this thought provoking audiobook!

Entry: Comment with your email address in the body of the comment (you can list it as mary123 (at) yahoo(dot)com). If you do not list your email address your entry will not count.

Extra Entries: Sign up to follow my blog (or let me know that you are a current follower); follow me on twitter (DCMetroreader) and on Facebook (Metroreader). NOTE: These extra entries MUST be left in a separate comment or will not count.

The giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents only.
You must be 18 years of age or older.
NO P.O. Boxes for the winner’s mailing address.
Limit one winner per household regardless of the site won from.

Giveaway ends February 26th . Good Luck!

Mailbox Monday -- February 7th

The reason why I love Mondays -- Mailbox Monday hosted this month by the Library of Clean Reads. Below are the review copies (both audiobooks) I received this week:

1) Simple Times by Amy Sedaris. Publisher's Summary. America's most delightfully unconventional hostess and the bestselling author of I Like You delivers a new book that will forever change the world of crafting. According to Amy Sedaris, it's often been said that ugly people craft and attractive people have sex. In her new book, SIMPLE TIMES, she sets the record straight. Demonstrating that crafting is one of life's more pleasurable and constructive leisure activities, Sedaris shows that anyone with a couple of hours to kill and access to pipe cleaners can join the elite society of crafters.

You will discover how to make popular crafts, such as: crab-claw roach clips, tinfoil balls, and crepe-paper moccasins, and learn how to: get inspired (Spend time at a Renaissance Fair; Buy fruit, let it get old, and see

what shapes it turns into); remember which kind of glue to use with which material (Tacky with Furry, Gummy with Gritty, Paste with Prickly, and always Gloppy with Sandy); create your own craft room and avoid the most common crafting accidents (sawdust fires, feather asphyxia, pine cone lodged in throat); and cook your own edible crafts, from a Crafty Candle Salad to Sugar Skulls, and many more recipes.

PLUS whole chapters full of more crafting ideas (Pompom Ringworms! Seashell Toilet Seat Covers!) that will inspire you to create your own hastily constructed obscure d'arts; and much, much more!

2) Fed Up by Rick Perry. Publisher's Summary. But we are fed up with being over-taxed and over-regulated. We are tired of being told how much salt to put on our food, what kind of cars we can drive, what kinds of guns we can own, what kind of prayers we are allowed to say and where we can say them, what we are allowed to do to elect political candidates, what kind of energy we can use, what doctor we can see. What kind of nation are we becoming? I fear it's the very kind the Colonists fought against.

But perhaps most of all, we are fed up because deep down we know how great America has always been, how many great things the people do in spite of their government, and how great the nation can be in the future if government will just get out of the way.

Our fight is clear. We must step up and retake the reins of our government from a Washington establishment that has abused our trust. We must empower states to fight for our beliefs, elect only leaders who are on our team, set out to remind our fellow Americans why liberty is guaranteed in the Constitution, and take concrete steps to take back our country. The American people have never sat idle when liberty's trumpet sounds the call to battle-and today that battle is for the soul of America.

Both thanks to the wonderful Hachette Book Group!

Sunday Salon -- Superbowl Sunday Edition.

Good morning/Good afternoon my fellow Bloggers! Are you ready for some football? While I am not a big football (unless the Ravens make the playoffs) I do celebrate Superbowl Sunday with a bunch of munchies to enjoy the commercials and the half time show! LOL. This year, as I have been busy all weekend, I am simply doing a chili bar (big pot of chili with help yourself toppings -- cheese, sour cream, onions and bacon bits); meatball subs (can you see a meat theme here?), chips and dips (ranch and guacamole), polished off with some yummy brownies. How about you what are your Superbowl plans? And to those rooting for a particular team -- Good Luck!

Reading Update: This week I finished Goodnight Tweetheart (will post review soon) and started on The Radleys. Still plugging away on War and Peace for my book challenge and Life (audio version) by Keith Richards.

Have a great reading week!

Get Energy Giveaway Ends Today

Don't forget to get your entry in here. Good Luck!

Eating Animals Giveaway (ends 2/19 )

Publisher's Summary. Like many young Americans, Jonathan Safran Foer spent much of his teenage and college years oscillating between enthusiastic carnivore and occasional vegetarian. As he became a husband, and then a father, the moral dimensions of eating became increasingly important to him. Faced with the prospect of being unable to explain why we eat some animals and not others, Foer set out to explore the origins of many eating traditions and the fictions involved with creating them.

Traveling to the darkest corners of our dining habits, Foer raises the unspoken question behind every fish we eat, every chicken we fry, and every burger we grill. Part memoir and part investigative report, Eating Animals is a book that, in the words of the Los Angeles Times, places Jonathan Safran Foer "at the table with our greatest philosophers."

Giveaway Rules. Today I am giving away THREE copies of this thought provoking book.

Entry: Comment with your email address in the body of the comment (you can list it as mary123 (at) yahoo(dot)com). If you do not list your email address your entry will not count.

Extra Entries: Sign up to follow my blog (or let me know that you are a current follower); follow me on twitter (DCMetroreader) and on Facebook (Metroreader). NOTE: These extra entries MUST be left in a separate comment or will not count.


The giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents only.
You must be 18 years of age or older.
NO P.O. Boxes for the winner’s mailing address.
Only one winner per household regardless of the site won on.

Giveaway ends February 19th. Good Luck!