Review: Time for Bed, Baby Ted

Today I am going to review a super cute children's book called:

It's Time for Bed, Baby Ted

by Debra Sartell with illustrations by Kay Chorao

Here's what the book says:
It's time for bed, but where is baby Ted? He's not baby Ted! Try and guess what he is instead. Whether baby Ted is pretending to be a snapping crocodile, squeaky mouse, or prickly porcupine, one thing is clear: this baby beastie is not headed for dreamland! But Dad helps his little animal get into pajamas, brush his teeth, and snuggle under the covers. With a quack, a snack, a cluck, and a tuck, baby Ted is ready for slumber in this winsome bedtime book.

About the Author:

I was born and raised by a single mom in a small town in Michigan called Clarkston. I have one brother and two sisters. This is a picture of us on Easter morning a long time ago. Until recently, my siblings all lived near our hometown. Home is where the heart is and I still go back to visit!

My dad was a fireman in Pontiac and a legend in the department. To this day they remember him as a great man. My father died tragically when I was in kindergarten and a part of my heart will always be that age. My favorite memories of my dad are of him wrestling with all four of us kids at once.
You can learn more about Debra at www.debrasartell.com and you can enter to win her contest and become a bedtime hero.

Here's what I think:
This is an adorable story of a little boy who, like most boys that age, stalls with every possible step in the bedtime routine. I read this book to my boys and they really liked the draws. I have also noticed that they really enjoy books that rhyme, which this one does. My oldest, aged 4.5 (which is a little old for the book, as it is geared towards 1 to 3 year olds) did have fun guessing what animal Ted was pretending to be. I think this book would be a great addition to any child's library, and the perfect gift to any new mom. The only draw back to the story was the length, it was a bit long to keep my 18 month old's attention.

Disclaimer: Although I did receive a copy of this book from Blue Slip Media for review, I was in way compensated to post this review. These are my real and honest opinions.

Whatcha Reading Wednesday 3/21/2010

I added a MckLinky so that you can post your "Whatcha Reading Wednesdays" teaser on your own blog and then link back to my blog. Please give it a try - and yes you can use my graphic, just please mention me in your post!

So this is how "Whatcha Reading Wednesdays" works

You grab the book you are currently reading, open it to a TOTALLY RANDOM page and then go to a random place on the page and select two full sentences. Then leave a comment with just the two sentences, the page number, title and author of the book. If it is a spoiler at all be sure to put **Spoiler Alert** at the top of your comment (like if the selection announces the death of an integral character or something). But I really doubt that two sentences on a random page are going to give away the plot - =). This is supposed to fun and enlightening and I really hope you guys do this!

Here is mine for this week:

When you have a good woman boss, it can't be beaten. BUt a bad one makes any ill-tempered male employer seem like a walk in the park.
page 167 Love @ First Site by Jane Moore.

Twilight Saga Fans - Breaking News!!

Most of you know that I am a pretty big fan of Twilight. Not a stand in line for book and movie release level fan but still - LOVE IT! Well just today it was announced the Stephenie Meyer is going to release a 200 page novella called The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. It is a story of the newborn vamp in Eclipse. You can read more about it by visiting Stephenie's Blog.  It is going to be released on June 5th, 2010. You can pre-order is from Amazon by clicking here. And what's even better is that $1 from each book sold will go to American Red Cross!!

Check out this Giveaway on My Cookbook Blog!

I am not sure if you all know this but I have a new blog devoted to Cookbook and food-related book reviews. To kick off the site I am giving away The Mayo Clinic Diet Companinion Journal! Please rush over and enter to win! Busy Moms Cooking Up Reviews And leave an extra comment saying you came for BMWL2R for an extra entry!

Collection of Confessions of all the Irritable Mothers!

Recently I reviewed Confessions of an Irritable Mother and also hosted a giveaway. The mandatory giveaway entry was to put down your Irritable Mother Confession. I am not sure that you gals read each other's entries and there were some really great ones! I have decided to compile them all together for everyone to read! Here was Mine is that I sometimes step out into the garage and scream into a pillow when i have reached my wit's end!

Annette W. - Sometimes I just ignore something that is happening...esp if I am on the computer.

Lisa R. - My boys and hubby(so they came by this tendency naturally)were always pulling their socks off wadded in little balls or their underwear and pants off together. Well, after fussing at them and gathering these offending objects up and returning them to said offenders to correct, I started washing them just like they took them off and putting them in their drawers the same way. When they got to the point that all they had in their sock drawer was these disgusting wads of cotton that smelled sour (cause they never got dry), or had blue underwear (cause they were washed inside their jeans), they got much better at detangling their socks and undies.

We had a hard fast rule that all laundry was to be put in the laundry room for washing. If this wasn't done then it wasn't washed.
My middle son was constantly running out of clean clothes despite the fact that I washed at least 1 load a day. He would finally give in and gather all his clothes up, sometimes as much as 4 loads to be washed. Well, I would then proceed to take my time in doing his laundry, despite him whining that he'd already turned all him underwear and worn them twice. Hey, I suffer, he suffers.(lol)

Debbie - I sometimes go lock myself in my bathroom for awhile. Sometimes there are yummy foods hidden in there waiting for me. Shhh!



Christy - I clean or organize something. The kids know when I am cleaning the garage something is up and they usually find a friend to spend the night at because they know I will more likely put them to work. lol
 
ham1299 - Sometimes I'll just turn my favorite music up REALLY loud and tune them out - especially if they're being difficult in the car!
 
Jackie - I take longer than usual in the bathroom just so I can have some quiet time.
 
Sal B. - I lock myself in my closet and take out my hidden chocolate stash :)
 
Merrie L. - I have an older son (13) and a younger son (4) which can be a curse and a blessing at times! When it gets bad... I make my eldest watch my youngest and I take a time out in my room! (I lock my door... sometimes I make it for the number of minutes for my age and tell them that's how it's supposed to be! I'm 42) lol *I don't stay in there that long though*
 
Amanda - My irritated mommy confession is that when my morning is already off to a rocky start I turn on Sesame Street (the only show my daughter will watch) and take an long shower while it is on.
 
O Mom - I think alot of Moms do this, but I lock myself in the bathroom when I need a few moments to myself, and just enjoy the quiet. :)
 
Kristen T. - Depends on where I am...I either go into the car and do the screaming thing, or (the more usual), hide in the bathroom and give my self a timeout...although between the kid and the cat, they are at the door asking to come in. LOL!
 
Angela - I sometimes ignore bad behavior I normally would stop because I just don't have the energy for a confrontation!
 
Bkittie - One time my kids left clothes spread around on the living room floor, and I was too just tired to tell them to clean up. When unexpected guests suddenly arrived, I quickly gathered up the clothes and threw them behind the couch!
 
Katrina - Sometimes I just want to scream because I just want to go to the bathroom by myself....just once in a while!
 
Julie - When my daughter wakes up to early i take my blanket and pillow in her room shut the door and lay there while she plays



Donnetta - I have gone into the garage and sat in the car because then I'm virtually sound proofed. It worked out particularly well one day when I remembered I had stashed a chocolate bar in the glove box. :) (Congrats to Donnetta - she won her own copy of this book!)
 
Waterlogged - TV is my irritable mommy babysitter. I hate the kids watching tv, but if I am truly getting irritated, I know that turning on the cartoons will give me a few minutes to just breath and restart.



Blueviolet - I used to tend to have an initial reaction of no before I even thought about it.



Joely - A cold splash of water on the face always works well for me :)

Coupon Clippin' Mom - sometimes I lock myself in the bathroom...until it's safe out :)

It's pretty funny how many of you gals hold up in the Bathroom! If I had more than one in my house, I might go there instead of the garage! Thank you to everyone that shared their irritable mothering moments. I think it is great to read that other moms deal with these things from time to time. And I am definitely starting a stash of chocolate out in the garage - thanks for the ideas!

VG3NYTE7ZAR9

The Winner of Confessions of an Irritable Mother is...

A very special thanks to Karen Hossink for providing an extra copy of her wonderful book! Thank you, also, to all of the people that entered to win a copy. And the winner of Confessions of an Irritable Mother is:

Donnetta

Congratulations!

Everyone come back soon to Check out more book reviews and giveaways.

Review and Giveaway Between Two Kingdoms by Joe Boyd

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED!
Between Two Kingdoms by Joe Boyd

Here's what the book says:

"The Dark Prince of the Lower Kingdom is plotting against my Father and me. Freddie is one of my best leaders, but I need more. I need you in the Lower Kingdom right now."

Tommy tugged at his lower lip. "This is really what you want me to do, Prince?"

"Tommy, this is what you were born to do."

There is a land of two kingdoms, but only one true King. A living land, where foundations grow in trees and rivers sing and breathe. A dying land, where the darkness of a false prince threatens to swallow everything in its shadow.
Enter Between Two Kingdoms with Tommy, an eternal seven-year-old child of the Great King, as he and his friends accept the challenge of the Good Prince to live as grown men and women in the Lower Kingdom -- where hope is hidden, vision is clouded, and pride twists truth into a beautiful yet deadly deception.

 Read an Excerpt

About the Author:
A gifted communicator, teacher, and storyteller, Joe Boyd is a professional actor and screenwriter. He is a teaching pastor who uses the power of story to reveal hope and lead others to the gate of God's Kingdom.
For more information, view Joe Boyd's Web site.

Here's what I say:
Between Two Kingdoms is a rather thinly veiled allegory of modern religion. The story is well thought out and imaginative but a little too preachy for my tastes. And it seemed to almost be a collection of short stories, that do flow together but each chapter or so could sort of stand alone as they each had their own sort of "lesson" taught and learned by the characters. In the simplest of terms, the Upper Kingdom represents Heaven and the Lower Kingdom is the Earth. The Good Prince is of course Jesus, while the Dark Prince is essentially the devil. As I said it was an imaginative spin on a concept as old as the bible itself, God asks us each to be choose Good over Evil of our own free will. This book sort of focuses on those little "nudges" in the "right" direction. It was enjoyable, and might be good for church based book group or bible study. But you definitely have to be okay with very overt Christianity in your novels to read Between Two Kingdoms.
As a total aside, not related to the story at all, the book size and shape is a little off. It is not your typical mass market paperback size (6.8 x 4.2 inches), and yet not a trade paperback size (8.9 x 5.8 inches). It measures 6.5 x 4.8 inches, making it shorter than a MMP but wider. And yes I realize that it is only a half an inch or so difference, it was noticeable to me and so I would feel remiss not to mention it. It is neither a good nor bad thing, just something that struck me as odd.

BUY IT! You can order you own copy from Amazon for $9.99

WIN IT! Anna at FSB Associates has agreed to giveaway 1 copy to 1 very lucky winner.

So here is how you can win:



Mandatory Entry: (open to US residents only, must provide mailing address - no PO Boxes - if you win)(you must do this one first or I will be forced to remove all of your entries)

Leave a Comment with your email address (feel free to use the antiSPAM version - yourname[at]yourserver[dot]com) telling me your favorite Christian Allergory Book Title.


Get More Entries: (LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY)
Become a Follower of Busy Moms Who Love to Read using Google Friends Connect (see sidebar)
Tweet about this Giveaway (include @1outnumberedmom and #giveaway in your tweet)
Follow me on Twitter @1outnumberedmom
Vote for the April Book Club Selection (see sidebar)
Become a Facebook Fan (see sidebar)
Enter one of my other giveaways
Add a comment to another post on this blog (a real comment, please)
Grab my button (see sidebar) and put it on your blog (include a link to your blog in your comment) (5 entries)
Add a post to your own blog about this giveaway (include a link to your post in your comment) (8 entries)


I wish you the best of luck! All entries but be received by 11:59pm PST on April 8th, 2010 to be counted.


Disclaimer: Although I did receive a free copy of this book for review (from FSB Associates), I was in no other way compensated to post this review. These are my real and honest opinions.


If you are an author or publisher and you would like for me to review your book, please contact me directly: polsen11[at]comcast[dot]net

Audio Books - yay or nay?

I have been hearing more and more about Audio Books. And it would appear that more titles are being made available in Audio Book formats. But what's the big deal? I know for me, personally, listening to a book is like listening to talk radio - which (to the chagrin of my hubby) I HATE!!! I have tried to listen to several books and I just can't do it. Sometimes it is the voice of the person that is reading the book. Sometimes it is the pace at which the person reads. Or sometimes I feel like I miss the subtle nuances and innuendos of the story because the reader doesn't have inflection at the right part of the story. But mostly it is the fact that my kids jabber too much and I miss things, then I have to try to rewind and it's just frustrating.

I do see and understand the benefits of Audio Books. If you have a long commute, you can listen to a book while you are driving. You can listen to a book while you are doing something else like cleaning you house or weeding your garden. It can save you money, if you download it on your MP3 player. But then I get back to the fact that I do not have a commute, I can't pay attention to talking when I am doing something else, and I have budgeted book money every month. So where does that leave me? With a strong aversion to Audio Books.

What do you think about Audio Books? Yay or Nay??

Vote on April's Book Club Selection

This month I am going to take a short vote for the Monthly Online Book Club Book Selection. So here are the choices. Please use the gadget to the right to place your vote. I will announce the book selection on April 2nd. If you are new to my site, and don't know about the Busy Moms Monthly Online Book Club - click here to learn more!

Divine by Mistake by PC Cast The only excitement Shannon Parker expects while on summer vacation is a little shopping. But when an antique vase calls to her, she finds herself transported to Partholon, where she's treated like a goddess. A very temperamental goddess…

Somehow Shannon has stepped into another's role as the Goddess Incarnate of Epona. And while there's an upside—what woman doesn't like lots of pampering?—it also comes with a ritual marriage to a centaur and threats against her new people. Oh, and everyone disliking her because they think she's her double.

Somehow Shannon needs to figure out how to get back to Oklahoma without being killed, married to a horse or losing her mind….

Love @ First Site by Jane Moore Spunky, sweet-natured Jessica Monroe is thirty-four years old and perfectly happy being single. Her girlfriends, however, disapprove. And when they secretly place a personal ad on a hot singles website on her behalf, Jess is reluctantly hurtled into the topsy-turvy world of online dating. A laugh-out-loud whirlwind of disastrous dates ensues, from Simon, who seems dreamy over e-mail but ditches her at the dinner table, leaving her with the bill, to Graham, a self-described “Ferrari driver” who turns out to be a car salesman—with several (old, fat, bald, creepy, cheap, stuck-up) men in between. When an unforeseen event turns her world upside down, Jess starts to wonder if the qualities she thinks she wants in a man—gorgeous, wildly successful, with a taste for fun and the finer things—really are what she ultimately needs . . . and whether, as a new mystery suitor appears in her e-mail inbox, Cupid has other possibilities up his sleeve.

Corked: A Memoir by Kathryn Borel Meet Kathryn Borel, bon vivant and undutiful daughter. Now meet her father, Philippe, former chef, eccentric genius, and wine aficionado extraordinaire. Kathryn is like her father in every way but one: she's totally ignorant when it comes to wine. And although Philippe has devoted untold parenting hours to delivering impassioned oenological orations, she has managed to remain unenlightened. But after an accident and a death, Kathryn realizes that by shutting herself off to her father's greatest passion, she will never really know him. Accordingly, she proposes a drunken father-daughter road trip. Corked is the uncensored account of their tour through the great wine regions of France. Uproarious, poignant, painfully introspective, and filled with cunning little details about wine, this is a book for any reader who has sought a connection with a complex family member or wanted to overcome the paralyzing terror of being faced with a restaurant wine list.

The Mysterious Benedict's Socitey by Trenton Lee Stewart  "Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?"

When this peculiar ad appears in the newspaper, dozens of children enroll to take a series of mysterious, mind-bending tests. (And you, dear reader, can test your wits right alongside them.) But in the end just four very special children will succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and resourceful children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules.
As our heroes face physical and mental trials beyond their wildest imaginations, they have no choice but to turn to each other for support. But with their newfound friendship at stake, will they be able to pass the most important test of all?
Welcome to the Mysterious Benedict Society.
PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE IN THE GADGET AT THE TOP OF THE RIGHT SIDEBAR! If you have a suggestion for May 2010 please leave a comment with the Title and Author and I will add it to my list.

The Winners of This One is Mine by Maria Semple....

A special thanks to Valarie at Hachette Book Group for providing the copies of this book! And a super thanks to all of you that entered this giveaway! And the winners are...

57. StashMama

39. Julie

and

38. Scottsgal

Congrats to all the winners - you have been emailed and you have 48 hours to respond with your mailing address. Hope to hear from you soon.

Please come back often for more giveaway! I have two going on right now - Try Darkness and Confessions of an Irritable Mother!

Welcome Friday Followers!

Asking for Trouble by Sandra Byrd (YA Novel)

Asking for Trouble by Sandra Byrd

FYI: This is a Young Adult book, intended for tween and teen aged girls.

Here's what the book says:

When her family moves to London, 15-year-old Savvy Smith has to make her way in a new school and a new country. She just knows the school newspaper is the right place for her, but she doesn’t have the required experience, and the cute editor-in-chief is not looking to train anyone. She has to come up with a way to prove herself and nab the one available position on the newspaper staff at Wexburg Academy.

London Confidential is a new series where British fashion, friendships, and guys collide, and where an all-American girl learns to love life and live out her faith.

About the Author:

Best-selling author Sandra Byrd has published nearly three dozen books in the Christian market, including her latest series, French Twist, which includes the Christy finalist Let Them Eat Cake (2007) and its sequel, Bon Appétit (2008). Many of her acclaimed fiction and nonfiction books target the tween and young adult market. She has also published a book for new moms entitled Heartbeats. Several of Sandra's shorter works appear in periodical markets such as Relevant, Clubhouse, Pockets, Decision, and Guideposts. For the past seven years, she has shared her secrets with the many students she mentors through the Christian Writers Guild. Before turning to full-time writing, Sandra was an acquisitions editor in the ABA market. She lives in the Seattle, Washington, area with her husband and two children.


Here's a little Q & A with Sandra:


Why did you write the London Confidential series?

Each of us, as women, remember what it's like to be a young woman, struggling to find our place in the world. Some girls have family issues, some have friendship issues, some have school issues, most of us have more than one concern. Whenever I write for young women I hope to provide them with an enjoyable read that validates their concerns, shows them that they are not alone, and provides encouragement to stay the course and see what wonderful things the Lord has just around the next corner.


The world feels a little depressed right now, too. I wanted to provide a happy, hopeful read and not a heavily issues-driven series. The London Confidential books are, I hope, fun to read.


What are some of the biggest struggles for teen girls today? What do you hope teen girls will take away from the series?


Truly, as Eccelsiastes says, there is nothing new under the sun. The issues that young women had when I was growing up are the same ones that my daughter has. Who am I? How can I make a difference? Where do I fit in? Am I loved? Why are people hurtful? While they may have different formats, for example, the internet, texting, or movies, the issues remain essentially the same.


But that's good news! That means that we women have walked these paths and have hopefully found our way. It enables us to be Girl Guides, the British world for Girl Scouts, in a physical, emotional, and spiritual sense. Just as we're instructed to do in Titus 2. We can do this in person, or we can do it by buying a good book to pass along to our daughters, granddaughters, nieces, and friends.


You say books can bring mothers and daughters together. How?


Books provide a non-threatening, impersonal forum for mothers and daughters to discuss issues. A mother can ask questions like, "What do you think of her choices? Is that a temptation kids at your school face? Do kids act that way in your school? Is the way these girls acting normal? Do you think those girls should be allowed to date?" That way you're not pointing to or calling our your daughter's behavior, specifically, but you're allowing her to express what her world is like. Just be sure not to offer a correction or comment to her every response!

Tyndale hasjust posted the link to the book trailer for the London Confidential series by Sandra Byrd. You can view it on YouTube.

Here's what I say:
I was a bit unsure about reading a YA book, I had a fear of boredom, or that I would have to force myself to read it. I was pleasantly surprised at the easy writing style of Sandra Byrd. As an adult I could easily tell that the book was a little simple, but not to the point of being condescending to a tween or teen. I quite enjoyed the realistic path of the story. And the Christian overtone was in no way over powering. Christianity is just a large part of Savvy's life. Several very important lessons about growing up and dealing with the trials of teenagehood are addresses and impressively discussed. At no point was the book preachy, which was another reservation I had. I can honestly say that if I had a daughter I would give her this series to read. As it is I am already planning to get it for my niece this Christmas. If you are a reader (duh, you are on my blog lol) I think this would be a fun book to read with your tween or teen daughter. All in all a great book, that was easy to read and left me with a warm feeling that all is still good in the world.



Disclaimer: Although I did receive a copy of this book for review (From Tyndale Media), I was in no other way compensated to post this review. These opinions are 100% mine.

Review & Giveaway - Try Darkness by James Scott Bell

This Giveaway is Closed!
Try Darkness by James Scott Bell

Here's what the book says:

Ty Buchanan is living on the peaceful grounds of St. Monica's, far away from the glamorous life he led as a rising trial lawyer for a big L.A. firm. Recovering from the death of his fiancée and a false accusation of murder, Buchanan has found his previous ambitions unrewarding. Now he prefers offering legal services to the poor and the under-represented, from his "office" at local coffee bar The Freudian Sip. A mysterious woman with a six year old daughter comes to him for help. She's being illegally evicted from a downtown transient hotel, an interest represented by his old law firm and former best friend, Al Bradshaw. Buchanan won't back down. He's going to fight for the woman's rights.

But then she ends up dead, and the case moves from the courtroom to the streets. Determined to find the killer and protect the little girl, who has no last name and no other family, Buchanan finds he must depend on skills he never needed in the employ of a civil law firm.

About the Author:

James Scott Bell's fiction has been compared by Booklist and the Los Angeles Times to Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, two of his favorite authors. A former trial lawyer, Jim was also fiction columnist for Writers Digest Magazine and adjunct professor of writing at Pepperdine University. His book on writing, Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure, is one of the most popular writing books available today.

After graduating from Taft High School in Los Angeles, Bell went on to play basketball at the University of California, Santa Barbara where he pursued a degree in Film. But his love of writing shot to the forefront of his interests. While still in college, Bell's writing got him a spot to study with Raymond Carver, one of America's most honored writers. Bell also won an award for a screenplay he wrote in his senior year.
After graduation, Bell moved to New York to write for the theater. Almost immediately he was cast in a small role in an Off Broadway production of Othello, "and I began my actor phase." That phase included stints in several Off Broadway productions and in television commercials. "Commercials were nice," Bell remembers. "I'd hold up a tray of hamburgers for McDonald's and keep getting these residual checks. What a business."
While in New York Bell met his wife to be, an actress, and decided one thespian in the family was enough. He went to the University of Southern California Law School, graduated with honors and won the American Board of Trial Advocates' Award as the top student in Trial Practice. He was a litigator for a year with a large L.A. firm before opening up his own office.
He now writes full time. His favorite writers, in addition to Chandler and Hammett, include John D. MacDonald and Michael Connelly. Visit his website at http://www.jamesscottbell.com/

Here's what I say:
I have to start by saying that I did not realize that this book was the second in the series until I had read a good portion of it and was starting to feel a bit lost. Not to say that the book cannot stand alone but more that I just had this gut feeling that there was more to the back story. The story is so fast paced and unexpected that I was gripped right away and I think that is why I was feeling that I wanted more. I am definitely going to have to go back and "start at the beginning" with the first book - Try Dying, especially before the next one - Try Fear! I have always been a big fan of what I call, judicial storylines. Where there are lawyers and courtrooms and cases and all sorts of whodunit. I especially like the stories of the innocents being vindicated - which is exactly what is going on in these stories. The main character - Ty - is exactly the sort of man I like to read about - some minor flaws but full of morals and a dollop of good old fashion honor. I really think that if you like thrillers with a lawyer spin, you will like this book.

Win it! Valarie at Hachette Book Group has graciously agreed to giveaway 3 copies of Try Darkness!
So here is how you can win:



Mandatory Entry: (open to US and Canadian residents only, must provide mailing address - no PO Boxes - if you win)(you must do this one first or I will be forced to remove all of your entries)
Leave a Comment with your email address (feel free to use the antiSPAM version - yourname[at]yourserver[dot]com) who your favorite murder/mystery author is.

Get More Entries: (LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY)
Become a Follower of Busy Moms Who Love to Read using Google Friends Connect (see sidebar)
Tweet about this Giveaway (include @1outnumberedmom and #giveaway in your tweet)
Follow me on Twitter @1outnumberedmom
Become a Facebook Fan (see sidebar)
Vote for the April Book Club Selection (see sidebar)
Enter one of my other giveaways
Add a comment to another post on this blog (a real comment, please)
Grab my button (see sidebar) and put it on your blog (include a link to your blog in your comment) (5 entries)
Add a post to your own blog about this giveaway (include a link to your post in your comment) (8 entries)

I wish you the best of luck! All entries but be received by 11:59pm PST on April 2th, 2010 to be counted.

Disclaimer: Although I did receive a free copy of this book for review, I was in no other way compensated to post this review.


If you are an author or publisher and you would like for me to review your book, please contact me directly: polsen11[at]comcast[dot]net

Whatcha Reading Wedneday 3/24/2010

Trying something new this week. I added a MckLinky so that you can post your "Whatcha Reading Wednesdays" teaser on your own blog and then link back to my blog. Please give it a try - and yes you can use my graphic, just please mention me in your post!

So this is how "Whatcha Reading Wednesdays" works

You grab the book you are currently reading, open it to a TOTALLY RANDOM page and then go to a random place on the page and select two full sentences. Then leave a comment with just the two sentences, the page number, title and author of the book. If it is a spoiler at all be sure to put **Spoiler Alert** at the top of your comment (like if the selection announces the death of an integral character or something). But I really doubt that two sentences on a random page are going to give away the plot - =). This is supposed to fun and enlightening and I really hope you guys do this!

Here is mine for this week:

Emerson had its very own nurse who gave the three of us ear and eye ecams, out first ever. I aced the tests - "Eagle eyes and elephant ears" the nurse said - but Lori struggled trying to read the eye chart.

page 95 The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Top Ten Picks Meme - Series Books

I found this cool meme over at Random Ramblings - I absolutely love series books so I thought I would participate!

Top Ten Picks will be a weekly post here in this blog that talks about just that -- my top 10 picks! Every week, there will be a different and specific topic given. I will then choose 10 of my favorites from that given category, create the list, and post them up here!

For week one, the topic will be on 'Book Series.'

In a variety of different genres, in no particular order, here are my picks.

1. The Black Dagger Brotherhood by JR Ward
2. The Mercy Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs
3. The Demonica Series by Larissa Ione
4. The Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris
5. The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon
6. Into The Wilderness by Sara Donati
7. Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs
8. The Queen Betsy Series by MaryJanice Davidson
9. The Rachel Morgan Series by Kim Harrison
10. The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer

Head over to Random Ramblings and post your own top ten!

March 2010 Busy Moms Online Monthly Book Club - Watermelon

For the first ever Busy Moms Online Book Club I have selected Watermelon by Marian Keyes

Book Description:

At twenty-nine, fun-loving, good-natured Claire has everything she ever wanted: a husband she adores, a great apartment, a good job. Then, on the day she gives birth to her first baby, James visits her in the recovery room to inform her that he's leaving her. Claire is left with a beautiful newborn daughter, a broken heart, and a body that she can hardly bear to look at in the mirror.

In the absence of any better offers, Claire decides to go home to her family in Dublin. To her gorgeous man-eating sister Helen, her soap-watching mother, her bewildered father. And there, sheltered by the love of an (albeit quirky) family, she gets better. A lot better.

In fact, so much better that when James slithers back into her life, he's in for a bit of a surprise.

About Marian Keyes:

Marian Keyes is one of the most successful Irish novelists of all time. Though she was brought up in a home where a lot of oral story-telling went on, it never occurred to her that she could write. Instead she studied law and accountancy and finally started writing short stories in 1993 “out of the blue.” Though she had no intention of ever writing a novel (“It would take too long”) she sent her short stories to a publisher, with a letter saying she’d started work on a novel. The publishers replied, asking to see the novel, and once her panic had subsided, she began to write what subsequently became her first book Watermelon. You can visit her website at http://www.mariankeyes.com/

I have heard great things about this book and hope it will be fun! If you are going to participate please leave a comment below, letting everyone know what you are in! And then come back on March 20th to see what the discussion questions are!

You can purchase the book on Amazon:


Or I noticed a few copies available on Paper Back Swap. Click here to start a new account:




Book Club discussion questions: (the answers in pink are my own personal responses)

1.  On a scale of 1 (lamer than lame) and 5(super fantastic) rate the following:
1. Style of Writing - 4 out of 5
2. Development of Characters - 3.5 out of 5
3. Flow of storyline - 4 out of 5
4. Over all book - 4 out of 5
2. Did you enjoy the full range of emotions that Claire encounters? Keyes did a great job of depicting each and every stage of Claire's turmoil and "recovery"
3. What was your most favorite part? The Irish dialogue - I love reading books that take place in other countries, because I love learning new words!
4. What was your least favorite part? That someone could ruin such a beautiful day as the birth of a child!!
5. What did you "not see coming"? The hilarity of the father!
6. Many have said that this is Marian Keyes' weakest novel - have you read any of the others? What do you think? This is the first book of hers I have read so if this is her weakest novel - I am totally going to read some more from her!
7. Will you read any more of Keyes' books? Already on my TBR list!

You can post your answers to these questions, as well as any comments and questions to other members in a comment using the link at the bottom of this post. Or you can create a post on your own blog and link back to us using the MckLinky! Hopefully we can start a dialogue about this book. Please remember that this Book Club is a first attempt so an constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. I want this to be OUR club not MINE!