The Brothers Krimm Giveaway (ends December 31st)

Publisher's Summary. On September 14, 2009, a serial bank bandit scores one of his biggest hauls ever in Williston, N.D. Jimmy Krimm has been robbing banks for most of his adult life, but the biggest crime he ever committed took place before he left his mother's Michigan home decades earlier.

When police deliver the news that her oldest son is dead, Charlene Krimm is left pining for any children he may have fathered, and with the task of breaking the news to her younger son, Rob -- Jimmy's first victim.

"The Brothers Krimm" examines the way childhood sexual abuse forms two men --turning one into a predator -- and the other into the kind of hero whose triumph is found in his will to rise above the past.

In the wake of the events of September 14, 2009, a small town reporter is compelled to dig deeper into the mystery of Jimmy Krimm. Driven by the desire to help his family gain closure, Cecile Wehrman sets out to follow the trail of a serial bank robber -- a trail that leads, inexplicably, to her own doorstep - to the abuse in her own past, and to the very real possibility she could have been Jimmy's next victim.

Giveaway Rules. Today I am giving away TWO COPIES of this gripping true story!

Entry: For this giveaway, you must be a follower of Metroreader. 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.


Giveaway ends December 31st. Good Luck!

First Chapter -- First Paragraph -- Tuesday Intros!

Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea hosts First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros. This week's intro is from Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson:

When Paul Jobs was mustered out of the Coast Guard after World War II, he made a wager with his crewmates. They had arrived in San Francisco , where their ship was decommissioned, and Paul bet that he would find himself a wife within two weeks. He was a taut, tattooed engine mechanic, six feet tall, with a passing resemblance to James Dean. But it wasn't his looks that got him a date with Clara Hagopian, a sweet-humored daughter of Armenian immigrants. It was the fact that he and his friends had a car, unlike the group she had originally planned to go out with that evening. Ten days later, in March 1946, Paul got engaged to Clara and won his wager. It would turn out to be a happy marriage, one that lasted until death parted them more than forty years later.

Mailbox Monday -- November 28th

Welcome to the post-Thanksgiving Mailbox Monday edition. I hope everyone had a great break!

Mailbox Monday is hosted this month by founding meme blogger: Marcia at the Mailbox Monday Blog. Below are the books that I received this week:

1) PostSecret by Frank Warren. Publisher's Summary: The project that captured a nation's imagination.

The instructions were simple, but the results were extraordinary.

"You are invited to anonymously contribute a secret to a group art project. Your secret can be a regret, fear, betrayal, desire, confession, or childhood humiliation. Reveal anything -- as long as it is true and you have never shared it with anyone before. Be brief. Be legible. Be creative."

It all began with an idea Frank Warren had for a community art project. He began handing out postcards to strangers and leaving them in public places -- asking people to write down a secret they had never told anyone and mail it to him, anonymously.

The response was overwhelming. The secrets were both provocative and profound, and the cards themselves were works of art -- carefully and creatively constructed by hand. Addictively compelling, the cards reveal our deepest fears, desires, regrets, and obsessions. Frank calls them "graphic haiku," beautiful, elegant, and small in structure but powerfully emotional.

As Frank began posting the cards on his website, PostSecret took on a life of its own, becoming much more than a simple art project. It has grown into a global phenomenon, exposing our individual aspirations, fantasies, and frailties -- our common humanity.

Every day dozens of postcards still make their way to Frank, with postmarks from around the world, touching on every aspect of human experience. This extraordinary collection brings together the most powerful, personal, and beautifully intimate secrets Frank Warren has received -- and brilliantly illuminates that human emotions can be unique and universal at the same time.

Thanks to Paperback Swap!

2) Carry the One by Carol Anshaw. Publisher's Summary. Carry the One begins in the hours following Carmen's wedding reception, when a car filled with stoned, drunk, and sleepy guests accidently hits and kills a girl on a dark, country road. For the next twenty-five years, those involved, including Carmen and her brother and sister, connect and disconnect and reconnect with each other and their victim. As one character says, "When you add us up, you always have to carry the one."

Through friendships and love affairs; marriage and divorce; parenthood, holidays, and the modest tragedies and joys of ordinary days, Carry the One shows how one life affects another and how those who thrive and those who self-destruct are closer to each other than we'd expect. Deceptively short and simple in its premise, this novel derives its power and appeal from the author's beautifully precise use of language; her sympathy for her very recognizable, flawed characters; and her persuasive belief in the transforming forces of time and love.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster!

3) Arcadia by Lauren Groff. Publisher's Summary. In the fields of western New York State in the 1970s, a few dozen idealists set out
to live off the land, founding what would become a commune centered on the
grounds of a decaying mansion called Arcadia House. Arcadia follows this rollicking,tragic dream from its hopeful start through its heyday and beyond. What unfolds is an astonishingly beautiful novel about happiness and the impossible dream of perfection.

Arcadia’s inhabitants include Handy, a musician and the group’s charismatic leader; Astrid, a midwife; Abe, a master carpenter; Hannah, a baker and historian; and Abe and Hannah’s only child, the book’s protagonist, known as Bit, who is born soon after the commune is created.

While Arcadia rises and falls, Bit, too, ages and changes. If he remains in love withthe peaceful agrarian life in Arcadia and deeply attached to its residents, including Handy and Astrid’s lithe and deeply troubled daughter Helle, how can Bit become his own man? How does he, a sensitive person, make his way through life and through the world outside of Arcadia where he must eventually live?

Thanks to Voice!

The Five Chiefs Giveaway ends today!

You don't want to miss this giveaway. Be sure to make an entry at the giveaway post!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Whether you are hosting the feast or attending a dinner, I hope that you're having a wonderful day with family and good friends. For those with loved ones serving on foreign shores, please thank them for me. And I hope that next year they will be home for the holiday! As a bit of holiday inspired nostalgia, here is a 1907 Thanksgiving menu from the U.S.S. Kentucky.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Rick and Jane Learn How to Listen & Talk Giveway (ends December 24th)

Publisher's Summary. In Rick and Jane Learn to Listen and Talk, The First Step to Intimacy, Al and Autumn Ray reveal how you can connect like you did when you were dating.

Following the story of Rick and Jane, a young couple who seek help from their marriage coaches, you will discover how couples must learn to operate from the same playbook to build an intimate relationship. This quick read highlights easy-to-learn
skills and communication “plays” that can transform your marriage into a rewarding relationship where both teammates are winners.

As Rick and Jane learn and practice their new skills, so can you! Conversational and inspiring, this story can help you achieve a winning marriage.

Giveaway Rules. Today I am giving away TWO copies of this informative self help book!

Entry: For this giveaway, you must be a follower of Metroreader. 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.


Giveaway ends December 24th. Good Luck!

First Chapter -- First Paragraph -- Tuesday Intros

Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea hosts First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros. This week's intro is from Wendy and the Lost Boys by Julie Salamon:

When Wendy Wasserstein died on January 30, 2006, at age fifty-five, hers was a rare obituary considered important enough to make the front page of the New York Times. Her memorial service, held in the 1,060- seat Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center, packed the house. The overflow was siphoned into a theater across the street at the Julliard School, where an additional five hundred fans joined the other mourners via video monitors.

Strangers wept and columnists eulogized. She was remembered as a significant playwright, but also as a quintessential New Yorker, the toast of the tough and glamorous metropolis. She had an uncanny ability to know almost every major player in theater, publishing, and politics, right up to the White House. Because she wrote about women and the subjects that concerned them, she was designated a feminist. But with Wasserstein everything, including politics, tended to be personal.

Mailbox Monday

The reason why I love Mondays: Mailbox Monday, this month hosted by founding meme blogger: Marcia at the Mailbox Monday Blog. This week was slow one with only one book (but it is a goodie):

1) Wendy and the Lost Boys by Julie Salamon. Publisher's Summary. In Wendy and the Lost Boys bestselling author Julie Salamon explores the life of playwright Wendy Wasserstein's most expertly crafted character: herself. The first woman playwright to win a Tony Award, Wendy Wasserstein was a Broadway titan. But with her high- pitched giggle and unkempt curls, she projected an image of warmth and familiarity. Everyone knew Wendy Wasserstein. Or thought they did.

Born on October 18, 1950, in Brooklyn, New York, to Polish Jewish immigrant parents, Wendy was the youngest of Lola and Morris Wasserstein's five children. Lola had big dreams for her children. They didn't disappoint: Sandra, Wendy's glamorous sister, became a high- ranking corporate executive at a time when Fortune 500 companies were an impenetrable boys club. Their brother Bruce became a billionaire superstar of the investment banking world. Yet behind the family's remarkable success was a fiercely guarded world of private tragedies.

Wendy perfected the family art of secrecy while cultivating a densely populated inner circle. Her friends included theater elite such as playwright Christopher Durang, Lincoln Center Artistic Director André Bishop, former New York Times theater critic Frank Rich, and countless others.

And still almost no one knew that Wendy was pregnant when, at age forty-eight, she was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital to deliver Lucy Jane three months premature. The paternity of her daughter remains a mystery. At the time of Wendy's tragically early death less than six years later, very few were aware that she was gravely ill. The cherished confidante to so many, Wendy privately endured her greatest heartbreaks alone.

In Wendy and the Lost Boys, Salamon assembles the fractured pieces, revealing Wendy in full. Though she lived an uncommon life, she spoke to a generation of women during an era of vast change. Revisiting Wendy's works-The Heidi Chronicles and others-we see Wendy in the free space of the theater, where her many selves all found voice. Here Wendy spoke in the most intimate of terms about everything that matters most: family and love, dreams and devastation. And that is the Wendy of Neverland, the Wendy who will never grow old.

Thanks to me!

MWF seeking BFF

Publisher's Summary. When Rachel Bertsche first moves to Chicago, she’s thrilled to finally share a zip code, let alone an apartment, with her boyfriend. But shortly after getting married, Bertsche realizes that her new life is missing one thing: friends. Sure, she has plenty of BFFs—in New York and San Francisco and Boston and Washington, D.C. Still, in her adopted hometown, there’s no one to call at the last minute for girl talk over brunch or a reality-TV marathon over a bottle of wine. Taking matters into her own hands, Bertsche develops a plan: She’ll go on fifty-two friend-dates, one per week for a year, in hopes of meeting her new Best Friend Forever.

In her thought-provoking, uproarious memoir, Bertsche blends the story of her girl-dates (whom she meets everywhere from improv class to friend rental websites) with the latest social research to examine how difficult—and hilariously awkward—it is to make new friends as an adult. In a time when women will happily announce they need a man but are embarrassed to admit they need a BFF, Bertsche uncovers the reality that no matter how great your love life is, you’ve gotta have friends.

Review. MWF Seeking BFF: Must live in Chicago. Must not bring her dog to lunch dates. Fluency in Entertainment Weekly preferred but not required.

Do you fit the criteria of this personal? If so, you may have a BFF waiting in Rachel Bertsche, author of the above ad and the memoir MWF seeking BFF. Bertsche is not friendless; in fact, she has plenty of friends – just not in Chicago her new home. She settled in the Second City after tying the knot with the love of her life. And while Bertsche’s hubby appears to be a real life Prince Charming (i.e. he buys her jewelry just because) he is also a straight man and ergo not BFF material (e.g. he does not like to watch Project Runway or dissect Bertsche’s latest office crisis).

So Bertsche sets out to find a local amigo by going out on 52 different friend dates, one a week, over the course of a year. In search of her Chicago BFF soulmate, Bertsche leaves no stone unturned, besides posting the personal, she: meets friends of friends; goes out with coworkers and yoga class colleagues; joins clubs galore including an Improv group and two book clubs; stalks Meet Up; speed dates for friends; hires a galpal matchmaker; and even employs a “rent-a-friend” (yes, there is such a service).

MWF seeking BFF is a funny and engaging account of a young woman’s search for the Laverne to her Shirley. But what I particularly liked about this memoir, however, is the subject matter. Because while there are thousands (or more) of books devoted to the search for a romantic partner, rare is the memoir that involves a quest for friendship. Moreover, Bertsche is happily married and her mother (whom she adores) lives minutes away. She also keeps in close touch with her out-of-town BFFs. Still Bertsche feels a friendship void and isn’t afraid to devote herself to filling the gap.

With the holidays approaching, here’s a gift tip: buy MWF seeking BFF for your best friend (inscribed with a note of thanks) or, better yet, give it to a BFF to be!



Review based on advance copy provided courtesy of the publisher.

The Book of Life Giveaway ends today!

Be sure to get your entry in at the giveaway post!

See Mix Drink Giveaway (ends December 3rd)

Publisher's Summary. Have you tried mixing a Mojito? What about a Rusty Nail? Or a Cosmopolitan? With See Mix Drink, the first-ever cocktail book to offer instruction through info-graphics, making the drinks you love at home is as easy as, well, See, Mix, Drink.

This unique, illustrated guide graphically demonstrates how to make 100 of today's most popular cocktails. For each drink, color-coded ingredients are displayed in a line drawing of the appropriate glassware, alongside a pie chart that spells out the drink's composition by volume for intuitive mixing. No other cocktail book is this easy or fun. Instantly understandable 1-2-3 steps show exactly how each drink is prepared, and anecdotes, pronunciation guides, and photographs of the finished drinks will turn newbie bartenders into instant mixologists.

Giveaway Rules. Giveaway Rules. Today I am giving away TWO copies of this informative guide!

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 December 3rd. Good Luck!

First Chapter -- First Paragraph -- Tuesday Intros

Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea hosts First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros. This week's intro is from A Thousand Lives by Julia Scheeres:

The journey up the coastline was choppy, the shrimp trawler too far out to get a good look at the muddy shore. While other passengers rested fitfully in sleeping backs spread out on the deck or in the berths below, fifteen-year-old Tommy Bogue gripped the slick railing, bracing himself against the waves. He'd already puked twice, but was determined not to miss a beat of this adventure. The constellation soared overhead, clearer than he'd ever seen them. He wiped salt spray away from his eyes with an impatient hand and squinted at the horizon. He was still boy enough to imagine a pirate galleon looming towards them, the Jolly Roger flapping in the Caribbean breeze.

This was his first sea journey. His first trip outside the United States. He squinted at South America as it blurred by, vague and mysterious, imagining the creatures that roamed there.

Mailbox Monday -- November 14th

The reason why I love Mondays: Mailbox Monday, this month hosted by founding meme blogger: Marcia at the Mailbox Monday Blog. Below are the following review copies that I received:

1) Digital Photography by Henry Horenstein. Publisher's Summary. This thorough, concise, and easy-to-use guide to capturing digital photographs provides an entire step-by-step course for budding digital photographers. All concepts are fully illustrated with sample work by internationally renowned professionals, representing editorial work, photojournalism, and everything in between. Topics covered include essential information for both film and digital photography, such as exposure controls and shutter speed, as well as digital-specific information on image editing, printing methods, and even file storage. The first digital textbook by legendary photography teacher Henry Horenstein, Digital Photography is the best guide yet for aspiring digital photographers, essential both for photographers transitioning from film to digital and those learning the art of photography for the first time.

Thanks to Hachette Book Group!

The Lost Dogs

Publisher's Summary. The bestselling story of survival and our powerful bond with man's best friend, in the aftermath of the nation's most notorious animal cruelty case. Featuring a new Afterword with updates on the Vick dogs.

Animal lovers and sports fans were shocked when the story broke about NFL player Michael Vick's brutal dog-fighting operation. But what became of the fifty-one dogs who survived? As acclaimed writer Jim Gorant reveals, their story is the truly newsworthy aspect of this case. The Lost Dogs traces the effort to bring Vick to justice and turns the spotlight on these infamous pit bulls, which were saved from euthanasia by an outpouring of public appeals coupled with a court order that Vick pay nearly a million dollars in "restitution" to the dogs.

As an ASPCA-led team evaluated each one, they found a few hardened fighters, but most were lovable, friendly creatures desperate for compassion. In The Lost Dogs, we meet these amazing animals, many of whom now live in loving homes and work in therapy programs. The Lost Dogs exposes the terrible practice of dog fighting and shows us that even after being subjected to heartbreaking abuse, above all, a dog still wants to be man's best friend.

Review.What's in a name? Doesn't a rose smell just as sweet no matter what you call it? Still if that is the case why do so many new parents agonize over the perfect name for their new bundle of joy? Why not randomly draw a name from a hat or better yet use junior's SSN as his moniker? Because names do matter, not just to the parents but to the child too (as many a poorly named offspring can attest).

By now the Michael Vick dog-fighting story is old news, but what happened to the canine victims? That is the real story. When Bad Newz Kennels (Vick's dog fighting ring) was discovered it was assumed that the dogs were killing machines who needed to euthanized as quickly as possible. But that didn't happen here, instead each dog was individually evaluated. The results were remarkable! Far from being attack dogs, most were simply frightened canines who had never been given a chance to thrive. And thanks to public outrage, Vick's deep pockets; a few brave animal activists; and an enlightened judge most of the dogs have went on to happier circumstances.

And it all began with the radical act of naming. As author Jim Gorant notes:

On a piece of paper that listed each dog by its shelter I.D. number, color, and gender. [The animal activists in charge of assessing the dogs] went down the list and gave each dog a name.

Suddenly these were no longer the Bad Newz dogs or those pit bulls from Vick's place. They were Oscar and Rose, and Ernie and Charlie and Ray and Curly and forty two others. They were a no longer a story or a group or a commodity; they were forty eight individual dogs in the same situation.


Here are their names along with their pre-name identities:

Chesapeake 54902: Audie; Chesapeake 54903: Sox; Chesapeake 54904: Curly; Chesapeake 54905 Jonny Justice; Chesapeake 54906: Shadow; Chesapeake 54907: Zippy; Chesapeake 54916: Makevilli; Chesapeake 54917: Little Red; Chesapeake 54918: Grace; Chesapeake 54919: Bonita; Hanover 26: Ginger; Hanover 27: Halle; Hanover 28: Mel; Hanover 29: Oliver; Hanover 30: Squeaker; Hanover 31: Jhumpa Jones; Hanover 32: Uba; Hanover 41: Handsome Dan; Hanover 42: Iggy; Hanover 43: Seven; Hanover 44: Hector; Hopewll 002491: Leo; Suffolk M-0380: Alf; Suffolk F-0381: Gracie; Suffolk M-0382: Ray; Suffolk M-0383: Oscar; Suffolk M-0384: Lance; Sussex 2601: Mabel; Sussex 2602: Sweet Jasmine; Sussex: Sweet Pea; Sussex 2604: Frodo; Sussex 2605: Georgia; Sussex 2606 Ernie; Sussex 2607: Willie; Sussex 2608: Charlie; Sussex 2609: Layla; Sussex 2610: Rose; Sussex 2611: Denzel; Sussex 2612: Meryl; Sussex 2613: Stella; Sussex 2614: Harriet; Sussex 2615: Tug; Sussex 2616: Lucas; Sussex 2619: Mya; Sussex 2620: Ellen; Virginia Beach 27: Cherry Garcia; Virginia Beach 38: Teddles; and Virginia Beach: Red;

As a dog owner two times over and an animal lover in general, there were parts I skipped over because they were too graphic for me. However, the vast majority of the book I gladly consumed because I needed to know whether Jonny Justice found a home and whether Sweet Jasmine ever came out of her shell. In short, I needed to know what happened to each dog.

The Lost Dogs: these are the dogs and these are their stories.



Review based on a borrowed library copy.

Love and Capital Giveaway ends today!

Don't forget to put an entry in at the giveaway post.

Happy Veterans Day!

To all those who served in war and peace, THANK YOU!

The Five Chiefs Giveaway (ends November 26th)

Publisher's Summary. When he resigned last June, Justice Stevens was the third longest serving Justice in American history (1975-2010)--only Justice William O. Douglas, whom Stevens succeeded, and Stephen Field have served on the Court for a longer time.

In Five Chiefs, Justice Stevens captures the inner workings of the Supreme Court via his personal experiences with the five Chief Justices--Fred Vinson, Earl Warren, Warren Burger, William Rehnquist, and John Roberts--that he interacted with. He reminisces of being a law clerk during Vinson's tenure; a practicing lawyer for Warren; a circuit judge and junior justice for Burger; a contemporary colleague of Rehnquist; and a colleague of current Chief Justice John Roberts. Along the way, he will discuss his views of some the most significant cases that have been decided by the Court from Vinson, who became Chief Justice in 1946 when Truman was President, to Roberts, who became Chief Justice in 2005.

Packed with interesting anecdotes and stories about the Court, Five Chiefs is an unprecedented and historically significant look at the highest court in the United States.

Giveaway Rules. Giveaway Rules. Today I am giving away THREE copies of this informative memoir!

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 November 26th. Good Luck!

First Chapter -- First Paragraph -- Tuesday Intros!

Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea hosts First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros. This week's intro is from MWF seeking BFF by Rachel Bertsche:

Friend-Date 1. As I approach the restaurant, there's a girl down the block walking in my direction. I squint to make her out through the January flurries. Average height, brown hair, peacoat. An everygirl. That's got to be her. When I enter the market, the new bar near my office, I do a quick once-over of the area near the hostess. Empty. The peacoat girl was definitely Hannah. Shell walk in the door in about 20 seconds. 19 . 18 . . . . My head starts spinning. When she gets here, do we hug? Or a handshake? Hug is a little familiar for someone I've only met over e-mail. But a handshake is pretty formal for potential buddies meeting for a drink. We did exchange 'I feel like I know you already' emails. And when you know someone, you hug them right? 1 . 10 . 9 . . . . I don't want to be overzealous in my hugging though. Definitely don't want to be that girl. What if I lean in for an embrace as she sticks out her hand for a shake? We'll end up in one of those one-arm-around-each other-half hugs. That already happened to me once this week, with a colleague. Yikes!

She's here. We make eye contact. 'Rachel?' 'Hannah?' She goes right in for the hug. I reciprocate. Flawlessly, I might add. There's no sign I spent the last half-minute rehearsing this in my mind.

Mailbox Monday -- November 7th

Yippee this month's Mailbox Monday is hosted by none other than the founder of Mailbox Monday: Marcia at the Mailbox Monday Blog! Below are the following review copies that I received:

1) The Dressmaker by Kate ALcott. Publisher's Summary. Just in time for the centennial anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic comes a vivid, romantic, and relentlessly compelling historical novel about a spirited young woman who survives the disaster only to find herself embroiled in the media frenzy left in the wake of the tragedy.

Tess, an aspiring seamstress, thinks she's had an incredibly lucky break when she is hired by famous designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon to be a personal maid on the Titanic's doomed voyage. Once on board, Tess catches the eye of two men, one a roughly-hewn but kind sailor and the other an enigmatic Chicago millionaire. But on the fourth night, disaster strikes.

Amidst the chaos and desperate urging of two very different suitors, Tess is one of the last people allowed on a lifeboat. Tess’s sailor also manages to survive unharmed, witness to Lady Duff Gordon’s questionable actions during the tragedy. Others—including the gallant Midwestern tycoon—are not so lucky.

On dry land, rumors about the survivors begin to circulate, and Lady Duff Gordon quickly becomes the subject of media scorn and later, the hearings on the Titanic. Set against a historical tragedy but told from a completely fresh angle, The Dressmaker is an atmospheric delight filled with all the period's glitz and glamour, all the raw feelings of a national tragedy and all the contradictory emotions of young love.

Thanks to Doubleday Books!

2) Solving the Communion Enigma by Whitley Strieber. Publisher's Summary. The bestselling author probes the ultimate significance behind today's increasing reports of UFOs, alien abductions, crop circles, and other unexplained phenomena-and what they mean for humanity's immediate future.

In 1987 writer Whitley Strieber exposed the world to the truth about alien abduction in his landmark memoir, Communion. For the first time in years, Strieber revisits his encounter with alien intelligences-but now dramatically widens his search to explore how "the visitors" connect with today's persistent and globe-spanning reports of anomalous phenomena, such as crop circles, cattle mutilations, UFO sightings, alien abductions, near-death experiences, close encounters, and unexplained bodily implants.

In his magisterial style, Strieber contextualizes these bizarre and unsettling reports with his own childhood memories of strange schools, sinister experiments, and family secrets. In exploring today's most convincing cases of unexplained phenomena, Strieber reasons that they are not unrelated events. Nor are they the result of mass delusion. In some of his most persuasive writing, Strieber argues that the wave of mysterious episodes marks a transition that humanity is undergoing right now. Against all conscious understanding, we are experiencing a broadened awareness of dimensions of reality that exist beyond our current perceptions.

Thanks to Tarcher Penguin!

Five Chiefs

Publisher's Summary. When he resigned last June, Justice Stevens was the third longest serving Justice in American history (1975-2010)--only Justice William O. Douglas, whom Stevens succeeded, and Stephen Field have served on the Court for a longer time.

In Five Chiefs, Justice Stevens captures the inner workings of the Supreme Court via his personal experiences with the five Chief Justices--Fred Vinson, Earl Warren, Warren Burger, William Rehnquist, and John Roberts--that he interacted with. He reminisces of being a law clerk during Vinson's tenure; a practicing lawyer for Warren; a circuit judge and junior justice for Burger; a contemporary colleague of Rehnquist; and a colleague of current Chief Justice John Roberts. Along the way, he will discuss his views of some the most significant cases that have been decided by the Court from Vinson, who became Chief Justice in 1946 when Truman was President, to Roberts, who became Chief Justice in 2005.

Packed with interesting anecdotes and stories about the Court, Five Chiefs is an unprecedented and historically significant look at the highest court in the United States.

Review. Boardwalk Empire’s Nucky Thompson occasionally sports one. Conservative commentator George Will wouldn’t be caught dead without one. And Justice John Paul Stevens is a devotee too. Yes, they are all bow-tie loving dudes! Nowadays, apart from black tie affairs, the bow tie is largely absent from the modern man’s wardrobe. This explains why the roaring 20’s character Thompson dons a bow-tie, but what about Will and Stevens? I have two theories: 1) they are metrosexual fashionistas; or 2) they are persnickety-professor types. Based on TV roundtable discussions I have witnessed, I have placed Will in the persnickety column and after reading Five Chiefs I have marked Stevens as persnickety too.

In Five Chiefs, a Supreme Court memoir, the recently retired Supreme Court Justice Stevens shares his personal reflections on the five recent Chief Justices: Fred Vinson (1946-1953); Earl Warren (1953-1969); Warren Burger (1969 – 1986); William Rehnquist (1986-2005); and John G. Roberts (2005 – present). The recollections vary in perspective from law clerk to practicing lawyer to Supreme Court colleague. Specifically, Stevens served as a law clerk to another Supreme Court Justice during Chief Justice Vinson’s tenure; argued before Chief Justice Warren; and was a colleague to the latter three Chiefs.

As the third longest serving Supreme Court Justice Stevens has a bevy of memories to share. Many of the anecdotes are mildly amusing, such as, the permanent ban on basketball playing (there is a basketball court directly above the Court room) while oral arguments are heard which was imposed due to the then law clerk and later Supreme Court Justice Byron White’s playing while the Court was in session. Some memories are insightful such as Chief Justice Burger’s penchant for switching votes during the decision drafting period to ensure that he was, more often than not, on the “winning” side.

Sadly, however, many of Stevens’ memories reveal an exacting and occasionally petty persona. For instance, he spends three pages disparaging a committee’s (composed of three fellow Justices) decision (made without consulting Stevens!) to rearrange the conference room furniture. Apparently, the old setting afforded more spaciousness in the center of the room; easier access to the phone; and freer mingling among the justices during coffee breaks. And at the end of Stevens’ diatribe, he confesses that the table’s new location adversely affected his hearing. Perhaps, this could have been simply noted upfront without the literary temper tantrum? Another example, involves Chief Justice Rehnquist’s decision to decorate his robe with stripes. How dare he! Stevens describes the stripes as “ostentatious and more reflective of the ancient monarchy.” Seriously? The back story is that this decision was made after Rehnquist queried his fellow justices as to whether they would like to change their robes. And while they voted an emphatic no, he modified his. Moving along, Stevens’s pettiness is on full display in his disparaging comments on Justice Thomas. His crime? Thomas had the audacity not to vote as Thurgood Marshall would have voted. Again, how dare he!

In short, although Five Chiefs is written as Stevens’ reflections of others I found it most enlightening about the author.






Review copy provided courtesy of the publisher.

The Book of Life Giveaway (ends November 19th)

Publisher's Summary. Forced together on a trip from Manhattan to Rhode Island, a father and son attempt to renew their bond over lobster, cigarettes, and a buried secret. A pure-hearted artist finds his devotion cruelly tested, while his true love tries to repent for the biggest mistake of her life. Unwittingly thrust into an open marriage, a man struggles to reconnect with his newly devout son. And in the book's daring first story, an arrogant businessman begins a forbidden affair during the High Holidays.

Written in clear, crystalline prose, The Book of Life comprises seven stunning tales about faith, family, grief, love, temptation, and redemption that signal the arrival of a bold and exciting new writer.

Giveaway Rules. Giveaway Rules. Today I am giving away THREE 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 November 19th. Good Luck!

First Chapter -- First Paragraph -- Tuesday Intros

Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea hosts First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros. This week's intro is from Five Chiefs by John Paul Stevens:

It was the fall of 1945, when I was a member of the entering class of freshmen at the Northwestern University School of Law, that I first met Nathaniel Nathanson, the professor who taught constitutional law. Nat was to have a profound influence on my understanding of the law during the ensuing years. His students sometimes referred to his class as "Nat's mystery hour" because he seemed to raise an endless number of questions but provided us with few solutions. He thought it more important to teach us how to find answers for ourselves than to indoctrinate us with his own views. A brilliant and lovable man, he inspired the affection and respect of the entire class. We were so impressed by the fact that in 1934 he had served as a law clerk to Justice Louis Brandeis, a jurist who was then -- and still is -- considered one of America's greatest judges.

In later years, events that were then unpredictable gave me special reason for treating Brandeis as a hero. When Brandeis retired, in 1939, Justice William O. Douglas was selected to fill his vacancy, and after Justice Douglas set the record as the longest serving justice in history -- a record that still stands -- he resigned in 1975, and President Ford nominated me to fill his vacancy. I like to think that I inherited not only Brandeis's seat but also some of his ideas and his respect for the law.