GIVEAWAY!!!! TRUE BLUE BY DAVID BALDACCI, AUDIO UNABRIDGED

Ex-cop Mason “Mace” Perry and lawyer Roy Kingman investigate the death of a partner at Roy’s law firm, uncovering surprising secrets from both the private and public world of the nation's capital. Soon, what began as a fairly routine homicide takes a terrifying and unexpected turn-into something complex, diabolical, and possibly lethal.






Giveaway Rules
You MUST, MUST, MUST leave an email address in your entry to be entered. I hate having to throw out winning entries because there is no way to contact the winner.


1. The giveaway starts Sunday, November 21st and ends Friday, December 4th at midnight.
2. There will be three winning entries, which will be chosen by a random number generator.
3. Winners will be emailed and must respond within three days in order to claim their prize. After three days, another winner will be chosen and notified.
4. For one entry, comment below with your email address attached. You can get additional entries by being or becoming a follower of this blog, posting about the giveaway on your blog, or tweeting about it on Twitter. If posting elsewhere, please provide the link.
5. Winners must have a street address in either the United States or Canada. No P.O. boxes allowed by Hachette, sorry!

Good luck!  I've listened to several of David Baldacci's books and they are great, and do well on audio.

The Manhattan Prophet by Jake Packard

The world of The Manhattan Prophet is disquieting.  It is set in New York City after a nuclear bomb has been detonated there by terrorists, destroying American life as we know it.  Thousands of poor and sick have been herded into Central Park, now known as Shantypark, where they live lives of desperation, forced to remain there by the police.  The police have become para-military and have taken control of most areas of civilization.  Their leader has no intention of giving that control up, and will use whatever force is necessary to retain his power.  News organizations have been pared down to a few government-sanctioned ones, and the only information going out is thoroughly vetted. 

Into this environment Salem Jones emerges.  The child of parents who are criminals and both imprisoned, Salem has grown up in prison, and is now being released, having reached adulthood.  Even though he has been in a prison environment, stories of his effect on others has reached the outside.  He has turned prisoners into nonviolent men, and created sanity and peace in the prison.  The story of his emergence is eagerly waited worldwide, as everyone wants to know more about this man.

Maria Primera is the reporter chosen to tell Salem's story.  She is assisted by her cameraman, Herbie, the child of hippie parents who raised him to believe in everything and nothing.  On the day of Salem's emergence, he manages to evade all the media and crowds.  The police want to control him; millions just want to see him.  Salem moves to Shantypark and starts to spread his message of hope there.  He performs miracles, healing terminal patients and unarming men bent on violence.  Maria is caught up in his story, and both are caught up in the turmoil caused by those wanting to be free and those determined to keep control.

This book is recommended for readers who enjoy urban fantasy.  Readers should be aware that there is an abundance of violence and adult language in the book.   

Spook Country by William Gibson

This book is written in one of my favorite genres; the intersection between sci-fi, urban fantasyand cryptic events.  As someone whose love for Neal Stephenson's The Baroque Cycle trilogy leads her to read it multiple times, William's Gibson's Spook Country allows me to add another author to my collection in this genre.

Gibson drops the reader into the middle of a big puzzle, and then reveals clues in the stories of three separate groups.  There is a prize out there although it is unclear what it might be, and everyone is trying to locate it for their own purposes.  The first group is made of The Old Man, a former government operative and his employees.  This group also includes Tito, a Chinese-Cuban young man brought in to perform the heavy work, and some of his relatives. 

Another group features Hollis Henry, a former rock star turned investigative journalist.  She is working for a secretive character called Bigend, who owns the magazine that has just hired Hollis, and who wants her to locate Bobby Chombo for some reason.  Chombo is a genius programmer, heavily into computer-generated art, and apparently, part of the plot to locate whatever it is that's out there. 

The final group is made of Brown, a government operative who seems to be a functionary in some nameless government agency.  He has kidnapped Milgrim, a high-functioning drug addict.  Although a drug addict, Milgrim has utility as a translator.  Brown keeps him under control by feeding him drugs.

The book concentrates on bringing these three groups together, and their interactions allow the reader to slowly comprehend what all are searching for.  Gibson creates a landscape where information is key; no one's life is private, and technology is an integral part of all plans.  It is a futuristic thriller/spy novel, and the spare language Gibson employs is perfect for a plot that is slowly revealed.  This book is recommended for sci-fi and fantasy fans.

Tirissa And The Necklace Of Nulidor by Willow

Tirissa wakes up one morning, going about her day with her adopted family.  But this day is not like any other.  A spell is cast on her village, and everyone she knows is affected.  They become dazed and unaware of their surroundings; victim of The Deadening.  Tirissa runs to the house of the local herb lady and healer, and hears that a wizard may have put on this spell.  It is similiar to the spell in the old stories of what happened to the town of Nulidor.  First, The Deadening occured, and then a second spell that killed everyone there.  The healer tells Tirissa that she is the only one who can save the town, as she is the only one unaffected. 

Scared and alone, Tirissa starts out and journeys to the house of a more powerful healer.  That woman gives her more information and a silver necklace that has come down through the ages.  As Tirissa journeys, she meets a group of wood nymphs.  They tell her the missing pieces of her background.  She is the child of a wood nymph and her human lover.  That explains why Tirissa is not affected by the spell, and why she has access to magic such as hiding inside trees and talking to stones and forces of nature.

Tirissa picks up some allies on her trip.  Oglo is a troll, hundreds of years old, that had fought against the forces of evil once before and lost.  Now he is eager to go with  Tirissa, to help her and to redeem himself.  Along the way they get another member of their party, Storge.  Storge is a n'er do well who finds himself pressed into service as a king's guard.  He joins Tirissa and Oglo on their journey, reluctant at first to help but becoming a valued member of their group as time goes by.

It is good that Tirissa finds friends along the way, because she also finds many enemies.  There are the horrific Beaks; men who transform into huge birds that attack humans, stabbing them as they swoop down.  There are Kings and Princes that want to stop Tirissa's mission, hoping to gain power through helping the evil wizard that created the spell.  There is a hellhound named The Tracker, who tries his best to bring down Tirissa.  Finally, there is the wizard himself, with all his power and weapons.  Can Tirissa stop his evil spells before everyone is destroyed?

Young readers will enjoy this rousing adventure.  Tirissa is just twelve, and shows resourcefulness, loyalty, compassion and courage.  The plot is exciting, and both heros and villians are imaginatively created.  This book is recommended for children 9-12.  It could easily be the first book in a series of Tirissa's adventures, and children will be eager to read of further tales.

Join Tirissa's Facebook fan page for a chance to win a free copy of the book:

http://tinyurl.com/yzna8l7

She Had No Enemies by Dennis Fleming

Mary Michelle Fleming, known as Mickey to her family, was eighteen when she was brutually murdered by a serial killer.  Noticing her walking home from a grocery store, he followed her and stabbed her and slit her throat, leaving her for dead after attempting and failing to rape her.  Mickey was the baby of the family, with seven siblings, one of whom is the author, her brother Dennis.  She had graduated high school and was ready for college and the rest of her life when Anthony J. LaRette, Jr. stole her dreams and plans from her.

But Larette didn't just kill Mickey.  He also stole the heart and soul from the family.  The author writes movingly of what the aftermath of such a brutal crime is, and what it does to the survivors.  The Fleming family had not been the success story that we often expect families to be.  Their history was full of abuse, emotional and physical, from alcoholic parents who let their demons escape over and affect their eight children.  Dennis, like many of the siblings, got out of the house as soon as he could.  He escaped himself into drugs and alcohol before realising that he wanted something more from life.  He found the military and it helped him escape his background and find a purpose.

The book follows the family in the years after Mickey's murder until the execution fourteen years later of her murderer.  The killer was found and arrested within two weeks, a blessing to the family, and one that was possible because Mickey found the strength to run for help even with her deadly injuries.  It was determined once LaPrette was imprisoned that he had killed other women.  He claimed to have killed thirty women, and law enforcement tied him to twenty-four. 

Dennis Fleming had moved back home after his military career to try to help the rest of his family.  After the murder, the old patterns of abuse and inter-familial betrayal re-emerged.  His first marriage failed, and his wife and daughter left for another state.  He entered several other relationships, some to hide his pain, and some to try to bring some stability into his life.  Others in the family sunk into alcohol or drug abuse.  Quarrels among family members erupted over money and possessions, and some members were estranged from others.

Fleming refused to let this one event determine his entire life.  He continued his education, and although he made his living in a scientific lab, he spent his afterhours life writing and creating film as a way to process his thoughts on life.  This creative outlet enabled him to carve out a successful life, never forgetting Mickey, but refusing to let a tragedy define him.

So much of what Dennis writes rings absolutely true.  His description of the initial feelings after a loved one dies is stunning in its accuracy.  He explores the hate he feels towards the killer, and how for a while his only desire was to kill the man who killed his sister.  He writes about how it feels to go into a store and see magazines and newspapers selling copies based on the crime against a family member.  Finally, he writes of the acceptance and ability to move beyond this personal tragedy.  He viewed the execution of the man who murdered Mickey, but not out of vengance.  He witnessed it to represent the family and to close the circle.  Dennis Fleming is not an advocate of the death penalty; he believes such killers should be imprisoned and studied to understand what causes such behavior.

This book is highly recommended for readers searching for ways to move past tragedies, as well as for those interested in criminal justice and books about criminals and what motivates them.  It shows the human side of the other victims of crime; those left behind to carry on and try to make sense of random, unspeakable violence.  I came away from reading this book full of admiration for the author and what he has been able to accomplish with his life. 

The Art Of Racing In The Rain by Garth Stein

In The Art Of Racing In The Rain, Garth Stein has chosen to tell his story through the eyes of a dog, Enzo.  Enzo comes to live with Denny Swift as a puppy.  Through the years, he is there as Denny meets Eve and marries her, and as they have their daughter, Zoe.  He is there as Denny starts to have success as a race car driver, and is treated as a full member of the family.

Then tragedy strikes.  Eve sickens and dies young, and Denny is caught up in a fight with her parents for custody for Zoe.  The fight gets vicious, and he loses custody while things are being resolved.  Through all this grief, Enzo is there as a steady touchpoint for Denny and Zoe, bringing them solace through his love and loyalty.

The reader hears how the custody battle works its way out over the years.  Enzo gets older and starts to deteriorate physically.  The book, in many ways, is the story of Enzo's life as he looks back over it as he nears his own end.

This book is recommended for animal lovers.  Many dog owners rave about this book, and it is one that they recommend highly and will remember for a long time.  For me, computer nerd that I am, the whole device of an animal narrator never really clicked as I found it impossible to engage with the viewpoint that Enzo understood the human world and what makes humans act as they do.  His philosophical discussions on being trapped in a dog's body when he should surely have been created a human just didn't ring true for me.  Still, this book is very popular, and most readers will enjoy it immensely.

Chocolate-A Love Story by Max Brenner (R)

A chocolate lover's delight (and which of us aren't chocolate lovers?), Chocolate-A Love Story by Max Brenner is a cookbook brimming with delicious recipes of all things chocolate.  If you can imagine a category of food, there's a chocolate recipe here to make it.

The author, Max Brenner, is a world-renowned chef, specializing in chocolate confections.  He opened his first chocolate shop in 1996; a traditional candy shop where he chatted with customers while mixing chocoate on the marble tabletop.  This start grew into a worldwide chain of restaurants called Chocolate by The Bald Man. 

Some of the recipes include Bohemian French toast chocolate sandwiches, Control Freak chocolate spread, Politically correct Sacher torte, A therapuetic chocolate pot pie, My lost childhood chocolate birthday cake, Guilt-free fried chocolate truffles, Controversial cherry soup, Innocent meringue kisses, Well-disciplined ladyfingers and Frozen very hot margaritas. 

The book is laid out in a way to facilitate cooking.  Each page has the recipe on the left page, with a graphical representation of the dish on the right page.  This allows the cook to lay down the cookbook and not worry about mixing ingredients from one recipe into another on the same page, a mistake most of us have made once or twice.  The ingredients are all those that are readily available, and the directions are clear and concise.

With Christmas coming up, readers will be tempted to buy multiple copies; one for themselves and others to give as thoughtful Christmas gifts.  This book is recommended to readers that love to cook, and cooks that love to read.

Dust by Susan Berliner (R)

Karen McKay notices something strange as she returns home one afternoon.  A small dust funnel appears inside her house.  Instead of normal dust, this dust is multi-colored; blue, red and green.  The funnel picks up a small figurine as Karen watches, then drops it, breaking it into pieces.  Karen thinks it is strange and does a bit of computer research about dust funnels, but then decides it is a strange one-time occurance and goes on about her business.

But it isn't a one-time occurance.  In the following days, the dust seems to be targeting the condos where Karen lives.  Numerous people are targeted by the funnel, which picks up objects and hurls them at the victim's heads, catching them unawares.  The condo occupants start to realise that the number of incidents are no accident.  People are falling, having car wrecks, slipping in the shower or down flights of stairs.  Several are hospitalized and some don't make it that far, dead at the scene of their attacks.

Karen and her ex-husband, Jerry, band together to figure out what is going on and how to defeat this evil that is threatening life and limb.  Over the next few days, they learn more about the dust's methods, it's likes and dislikes.  Can they figure out how to defeat the dust before it defeats them? 

Susan Berliner has written a story that will be enjoyed by those fans of cozy mysteries.  Although there are deaths, the violence isn't graphic or stomach-turning.  The heroine, Karen, is a fresh character; a research librarian with a need for knowledge and the impetus to defeat evil where others might turn away.  This book is recommended for mystery and thriller readers.

Bookstore Signings: 10 Lessons I've Learned

by Susan Berliner, author of DUST

www.susanberliner.com

Although I'm still new to the bookstore-signing scene, having done just two (the most recent one earlier this month), I am quickly learning what works and what doesn't work for me. Here are my conclusions:

1. Most authors can't just sit behind signs with pictures of their book covers and expect to generate sales to strangers. Of course, that'll work if you're a world-famous author like Stephen King. But most of us have to stand in a main aisle and introduce ourselves (and our books) to customers.

2. Don't be shy and reserved. I once watched an author spend hours slumped in a chair, not promoting her novels at all. The only books she sold were to friends.

3. Don't be loud and obnoxious. I watched another author scream at people (from his seat) as they entered the bookstore: "Do you like [name of genre] books?" Nearly everyone said "no" and I didn't see him sell a book.

4. Be friendly and outgoing. I wear a badge that has both my name and a picture of the cover of DUST and stand at the front of the store as a kind of unofficial greeter, smiling at people as they enter. Most make eye contact and some even say "hello" to me. Then I go into my spiel: "Hi. My name is Susan Berliner and I've just published a book called DUST." (I hold up the book.) "Do you like supernatural thrillers like those written by Stephen King or Dean Koontz?" Most people say, "no" or "sorry," and I thank them for their time.

5. Let people who like your genre skim through the book. I hand fans of paranormal fiction—about 20% of the people I talk to—my book while I summarize the plot: "DUST is a supernatural thriller about an evil swirl of dust that terrorizes a condo development..."

6. Find something about your book that will intrigue the customer. Since DUST is based on a real weather phenomenon called a "dust devil," I ask people if they've heard of dust devils. If they haven't, I explain dust devils are miniature tornados that arise suddenly on hot and dry spring days. I then tell them my novel was inspired by a dust devil incident in which an auto body shop collapsed, killing the owner. "It happened in Maine," I say, "so I thought Stephen King would write a novel about dust." All this time, the customer is looking through my book. Often, when I've finished my explanation, the person will offer to buy a copy.

7. Try to close the sale immediately. If the person doesn't want to buy the book, I thank him or her for listening and give him/her a DUST bookmark. Some people say they might buy the book later, but few of them ever return to my table. I usually sell DUST immediately or not at all.

8. Take a photo with the buyer. I walk the customer back to my table to sign a copy of DUST and have a picture taken of both of us with the book. (I post some of the best photos on my Website and Facebook pages.)

9. When dedicating a book, always ask the person for the spelling of the name. At my last book signing, I had two unusually spelled names: "Krisy" and "Annabela." If I hadn't asked for the correct spelling, I would have written both names incorrectly.

10. Wear comfortable shoes. After standing for more than five hours at my November book signing, my feet were killing me!

Pendragon's Banner by Helen Hollick (R)

Set from 459 to 466, Pendragon's Banner is the second book in Helen Hollick's Pendragon's Banner Triology.  It tells the story of Arthur of Britain, who fought, conquered enemies and brought peace to England.  It also tells of the love between Arthur and his wife, Gwenhwyfar, better known to most readers as Guinevere.

A king's life was one of war, of alliances and betrayals.  There were few families of royalty, and the balance of power between them and the desire for more power fuels much of the action in this book.  Arthur had many enemies, men who wanted the kingdom he had carved out.  Some of these included Lot, husband of Morgause, Arthur's stepmother; Hueil, a Northern ruler who attempted to defeat Arthur and even his own uncle, who persuaded Arthur's council to split the kingdom. 

Arthur had other enemies.  Morgause was a sworn enemy and cursed him that she would see all his sons dead.  Winifred was his first wife, put aside when he met Gwenhwyfar, and resentful of that, wanting to force Arthur to acknowledge her son and willing to join with his enemies to accomplish her goals.  There were other women also, slaves he took, women he had affairs with and the Lady of the Lake, who bore him another son.  Women's lives were hard; their children lucky to survive to adulthood.  There were many ways to lose a child, war, accidents, illnesses, plots.  Children were pawns in the power plays of the powerful, and as they grew, they learned to desire and scheme to gain power for themselves.

Hollick has created a realistic tale of this ancient history and this mythological man.  Arthur is shown as a warrior first and foremost, quick to go to battle, to defend what was his or claim more.  He is shown as a man greatly in love with his wife.  But Hollick also shows the dark side of Arthur.  That love did not prevent him from having other women.  Reflecting the violence of his time, slaves were treated as chattel.  Those who lost battles were maimed or blinded, or simply killed.  In one gruesome episode, Arthur has Lot and Morgause's daughter killed after Lot's defeat, to eliminate her as a problem in the future. 

Readers of historical fiction will enjoy Hollick's tale and be eager to read the other books in her triology.  Arthur Pendragon's reputation has survived for centuries, and a glimpse into what life must have been like in his court is fascinating.  This book is recommended for historical fiction readers as well as those interested in a complex tale of power, corruption, love and war.

GIVEAWAY!!!! SUPREME COURTSHIP BY CHRISTOPHER BUCKLEY

President of the United States Donald Vanderdamp is having a hell of a time getting his nominees appointed to the Supreme Court.  After one nominee is rejected for insufficiently appreciating To Kill A Mockingbird, the president chooses someone so beloved by voters that the Senate won't have the guts to reject her -- Judge Pepper Cartwright, the star of the nation's most popular reality show, Courtroom Six.

Will Pepper, a straight-talking Texan, survive a confirmation battle in the Senate? Will becoming one of the most powerful women in the world ruin her love life? And even if she can make it to the Supreme Court, how will she get along with her eight highly skeptical colleagues, including a floundering Chief Justice who, after legalizing gay marriage, learns that his wife has left him for another woman.

Soon, Pepper finds herself in the middle of a constitutional crisis, a presidential reelection campaign that the president is determined to lose, and oral arguments of a romantic nature. Supreme Courtship is another classic Christopher Buckley comedy about the Washington institutions most deserving of ridicule.

Giveaway Rules
You MUST, MUST, MUST leave an email address in your entry to be entered.  I hate having to throw out winning entries because there is no way to contact the winner. 

1.  The giveaway starts Sunday, November 1st and ends Friday, November 13th at midnight.

2. Winning entries will be chosen by a random number generator.

3.  Winners will be emailed and must respond within three days in order to claim their prize.  After three days, another winner will be chosen and notified.

4.  For one entry, comment below with your email address attached.  You can get additional entries by being or becoming a follower of this blog, posting about the giveaway on your blog, or tweeting about it on Twitter.  If posting elsewhere, please provide the link.

5.  Winners must have a street address in either the United States or Canada.  No P.O. boxes allowed by Hachette, sorry!

Good luck!  I love Christopher Buckley and think this book will be a gas!

Bear Portraits by Jill Greenberg (R)

A visual feast for those who love bears, Jill Greenberg has captured the many aspects of bears.  The book is full of portraits of different kinds of bears, polar bears, Kodiaks, black bears, Russian and European Brown bears, and grizzlies.  There are pictures of cubs and pictures of mature bears.

Many would be tempted to only show the cute side of bears, but Greenberg is not afraid to shoot portraits that show the power and ferocity of these animals as well.  Moving from portrait to portrait, the reader is aware of how humans came to view bears as central to so many myths and legends.  One fact that I'm always surprised at is how small the bear's eyes are in relation to the rest of their features. 

Along with the portraits, there are quotes about bears by various famous people and authors, from Homer to Homer Simpson.  One of my favorites is "The alleged power to charm down insanity, or ferocity in beasts, is a power behind the eyes"--Ralph Waldo Emerson.  At the end of the portraits, there is a spread that tells about each bear used in the book; type of bear, height, weight, geographic region, movies the specific bear has been in and their name.   

The book would be a great gift for anyone who loves bears, or anyone who appreciates nature photography.  The portraits are not shot as most nature photography; instead the individual bears are shot with lighting that highlights their features and characteristics.  Those lucky enough to own this book will treasure it and display it proudly.

The Financial Lives Of The Poets by Jess Walter (R)

The economy hasn't been kind to Matt Prior.  A business newspaper journalist, he decided to make the big jump to start his own business.  His business idea?  A website where investors could go to get investment advice written in poetry.  Hmmm, how's that working out for you Matt?  Not well.  Having used his savings to start the site and quickly realizing that there was no market, Matt jumps back to his newspaper job, just in time for the layoffs that are plaguing that market. 

So, Matt is unemployed, savings gone.  His wife, Lisa, went on her own get-rich quick scheme; buying scores of collectibles from Ebay that she planned to store for a few years and sell at a huge profit.  To finance this, she has maxed out their credit cards.

Matt has social problems as well.  He is the caretaker for his father.  His father's dementia increases every day.  Matt's two boys are moving further and further away from him as they grow up.  He discovers that Lisa has struck up a relationship with her high school sweetheart online, and it seems ready to move into a more physical realm.

There they sit, Matt unemployed, Lisa employed in a marginal job, no savings, deep in credit card debt.  Matt hasn't even told Lisa that he's been avoiding a foreclosure notice on their house.  He visits their financial planner and cashes out everything left.  What to do, what to do?  Stressed, he leaves his house one night to go get milk for the morning cereal.  At the local 7-11, he falls in somehow with a group of stoners, who take him to their apartment, where he gets stoned for the first time in twenty years.

Suddenly, his great revelation occurs!  He can sell pot to finance his way out of financial crisis.  There is a whole market of older, professional men and women who used to smoke and would probably jump at the chance to buy some pot from someone they trusted.  Matt uses his entire retirement savings to finance this new career choice.

This all sounds bleak, but in reality, this is one of the most upbeat books I've read lately.  I laughed out loud repeatedly, following Matt on his adventures.  Jess Walter has a perfect ability to write characters that breathe and stretch on the page, individuals you know in your own life.  This ability to make believable characters allows him to stretch reality, as the reader can always see what led the character to make what would normally be a horrible choice.  It's fairly uncommon that I read one book by an author and rush out to find more by him, but I'm rushing out for more Jess Walter books.  This book is highly recommended for fans of literature and current events.

The Desert Hedge Murders by Patricia Stoltey (R)

Retirement is supposed to be relaxing, right?  It's not working out that way for Sylvia Thorn.  Retired from her job as a judge and at loose ends, she agrees to accompany her mother's group of friends on a Las Vegas trip.  The group, who call themselves the Florida Flippers, travel together several times a year.  Usually Sylvia's brother, Willie, travels with them, but can't this time, so Sylvia agrees to go with them and ride herd.

There's another newcomer to the group, a woman named Patsy.  No one seems to know much about her except for the Flipper who invited her, Sandra.  Things get off to a rough start when the group gets to the hotel, and a dead body is found in the bathtub in Sandra and Patsy's room.

Then Sandra disappears.  The group tries to stay on their routine and go to a deserted mine that has been turned into a touring site.  The manager there says Sandra has beat them there.  Relieved they enter the mine, only to find Sandra's body twisting over a crevice in the mine. 

Now there are two dead bodies, and mystery galore.  It turns out that Sandra's husband is under investigation for hedge fund fraud, operating without Sandra's knowledge in Nevada.  Worse, most of the Flippers have invested savings with him.

Sylvia steps in to solve the mystery with the help of Patsy and of Willie, who has joined the group after he and Sylvia's father get alarmed when they can't contact the group by cell phone.  There are law enforcement officers to dodge, along with a certain FBI agent that seems very interested in Sylvia as well as the crime.  Will they solve the mystery before more tragedy occurs?

This debut novel stands up very well.  It is recommended for mystery readers, especially those who enjoy the "cosy" mystery genre.  It appears that this is the start of a series, and I'd be interested in reading more adventures featuring Sylvia and Willie. 

Hellbound Hearts, Anthology (R)

Readers looking for a book that reflects the terror-filled parts of Halloween will be interested in this anthology.  The theme of these stories is some connection with Clive Barker's hit movie, The Hellbound Heart.  Each story reflects the world of the Cenobites, a merciless collection of horror-producing stories that are not recommended for bedtime reading.

Authors in the collection include Neil Gaiman, Conrad Williams, Sarah Langan, Chaz Brenchley, Nancy Holder, Tim Labbon and Kelly Armstrong, among others.  The stories are graphic and not for the faint-hearted.  These are stories for fans of full-blown horror.  Many revolve around a puzzle that as it devolves, takes characters into a bleak, horrific world filled with demonic beings.

This is my current car book, the book I dip into while waiting at appointments.  Now that twilight is coming earlier and earlier, the background provided by Nature emphasizes the horror of the stories.  Fans of this genre will be delighted with this new addition to the horror bookshelves. 

Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly (R)

This is Michael Connelly's 15th book in his series about Harry Bosch.  Harry is a homicide detective in LA.  He lives for his job, and for his 13-year old daughter, Maddie, who lives with her mother in Hong Kong, and who he sees every couple of months for a few weeks.

As the book opens, Harry and his partner are assigned the next homicide.  It seems a routine shopkiller murder; the victim an elderly Chinese man who immigrated to this country with his family and opened a store, then expanded to a second one.  Harry and his partner soon discover though, that this killing isn't as routine as it seems.  The storeowner was paying a weekly tribute to one of the Chinese Triads, the organized crime gangs that operate in both China and the United States.  There is a good chance that this was a Triad killing, as the shopowner had told them he would stop paying due to lower sales.

Having identified the Triad operative who collected the tribute and is probably the killer, Harry and Chu, a policeman from the Asia Group Unit in the LA Police, start surveillance, hoping to find a way to make their case.  They are surprised when the suspect comes out with a large suitcase, obviously on his way to flee the jurisdiction.  Harry suspects that the man has been tipped off on the police investigation, something that could only occur from the inside.

To prevent the man's escape, he is arrested at the airport.  The plan is to hold him until evidence can be found, but then a new, startling episode occurs.  Harry gets a video on his cellphone.  It is footage of Maddie being held hostage in Hong Kong, and there is a message that Harry must back off on the suspect or she will be harmed.  Harry drops everything and flies to Hong Kong.  There, helped by his ex-wife and her new partner, a man who works in security, they race against time and the Triads to find Maddie before she is hurt.

Fans of the Harry Bosch series will not be disappointed.  I liked the first part which showed the routine workings of a murder investigation.  It showed the beaucracy and budget and political considerations that often hamper police work, and seems much more realistic than many books that portray everything falling into place almost magically.  The book changes tempo as Harry moves to Hong Kong.  The suspense rachets up with every new encounter, as the reader anxiously follows to see if Harry will be successful.  This book is recommended for mystery and thriller readers.

GIVEAWAY!!!!! CONNECTED BY NICOLAS CHRISTAKIS AND JAMES FOWLER

Your colleague's husband's sister can make you fat, even if you don't know her. A happy neighbor has more impact on your happiness than a happy spouse. These startling revelations of how much we truly influence one another are revealed in the studies of Drs. Christakis and Fowler, which have repeatedly made front-page news nationwide.

In CONNECTED, the authors explain why emotions are contagious, how health behaviors spread, why the rich get richer, even how we find and choose our partners. Intriguing and entertaining, CONNECTED overturns the notion of the individual and provides a revolutionary paradigm-that social networks influence our ideas, emotions, health, relationships, behavior, politics, and much more. It will change the way we think about every aspect of our lives.

Giveaway Rules

YOU MUST, MUST, MUST LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS SO I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN. I HATE TO SEE ENTRIES WHERE I CAN'T TRACK DOWN THE WINNER AND THEY LOSE THEIR PRIZE.

1. The contest starts Saturday, October 17th and ends on Friday, October 30th.

2. Winning entries will be chosen by a random number generator.

3. In order to claim your prize, you must respond to the notification email within three days.

4. For one entry, comment below and tell us how you use social connection media such as Twitter, Facebook, etc, or if you aren't interested.

5. For extra entries, you get one more for any or all of the following: become or be a follower of Booksie's Blog, post about the giveaway on your blog, or tweet about it and send me the address.

6. Winners must have a street address delivery in the US or Canada. No PO Boxes allowed, sorry!

Good luck! This looks like a great book!

Angels by Chuck Fischer (R)

Angels is the latest pop-up book by Chuck Fisher, complementing others he's done such as Christmas In New York and Great American Houses and Gardens.  It is a stunning, gorgeous book that would make a perfect book to leave out for visitors to open and spend time with.

Each page opens to an amazing 3-D popup.  It's difficult to give the sense of how intricate and eye-catching each popup is.  These were done by Bruce Foster, a master paper engineer.  The reader can look at these again and again, finding something new to delight the eye on each viewing.

Along with the popup on each set of pages, there are informational sections on each set of pages.  The pages are broken into categories. The Origins Of Angels exploring the historical timelines and all the cultures that had a history of angels.   Angels as Messengers look at Biblical angel messengers such as the burning bush with Moses, or the angels that saved Daniel in the lion's den.  A Hierarchy Of Angels explains the six tiers of angels and the differences between such entities as cherubim, seraphim, thrones, dominions, virtues and powers.  There is an entire set of pages devoted to the Archangel Michael, with what I found to be the most visually appealing popup with rich red tones and an elaborate dragon.  The page for the Archangel Gabriel talks of how he was the one who told Mary her babe would be the Savior, and explores whether Gabriel is the only female angel.  There is a section on angels in art and music.  The final popup is on Angels of the Zodiac, with each sign assigned a specific angel.

This is an amazing book.  The intricate popups with their moveable parts, and the text explaining angels make this a feast for the eyes as well as the brain.  This book is recommended for all readers, and those who are able to view it are lucky indeed.

The Tudor Rose by Margaret Campbell Barnes (R)

What a difference a year makes in the lives of royalty.  As The Tudor Rose opens, we meet Elizabeth of York, eldest daughter of King Edward IV.  She is getting ready for a wedding to the Dauphin of France, a man she has never met.  Word comes that the marriage offer has been rescinded, and she is comforted by her father.  Secure in the love of her family, she is a happy young woman, easily able to overcome this rejection.

But a year later, her life has changed dramatically.  King Edward has died, and life changes forever.  Her uncle, Richard, who should be serving as protector of the new King, Elizabeth's brother Ned, instead takes the crown for himself.  Worse, he imprisons both Ned and Richard of York, the eight-year-old brother known as Dickon.  Elizabeth and her sisters and mother are living in santuary in a monastery.  They agree to move to the castle under King Richard's protection, but then disaster strikes.  As history fans know, the Princes in the Tower are murdered to eliminate the threat to Richard's crown.

Filled with hate and scorn for her uncle, and knowing that the crown should now be hers, Elizabeth agrees to join forces with Henry Tudor, who has been living in France in exile.  Henry has royal blood to substantiate his claim; he is related to King Arthur of the Roundtable.  With the knowledge that Elizabeth will marry him if he defeats Richard, Henry invades England and kills Richard in battle.  He is crowned King.

Six months later, he marries Elizabeth.  Far from her romantic dreams, it is unclear if he wants her for herself, or just to consolidate the royal bloodlines and end the civil War of The Roses.  Elizabeth is a warm, outgoing woman and marriage to a cold, calculating man like Henry is difficult for her.  They have four children.  Arthur is the eldest, raised to be the next King, while Harry is known now as Henry the Eighth.  Margaret becomes Queen of Scotland, marrying King James.  Mary is the youngest girl. 

While she is content with her life and children, there are always troubles in a royal household.  There are various pretenders to the Crown, and Henry must defend his right to rule.  Two pretenders over the years both claim that, far from being murdered in the Tower, that instead the Princes escaped and that they are Dickton, now grown.   Many rally behind them, and even Elizabeth is torn between her desire to believe her beloved brothers are still alive, and the common sense that knows that they are indeed gone forever. 

The book follows Elizabeth and Henry's life.  It gives an inside look at royal marriages and the restrictions royal women lived with.  It is ifascinating to see the background that produced Henry the Eighth, whose impact on English history was so significant and long-lasting.  This book is recommended for lovers of historical fiction.  Margaret Campbell Barnes has done an excellend job of researching Elizabeth of York's life, and of putting the reader into her shoes to get a glimpse of the obligations and constant manuvering for position those who were royal lived with. 

Breaking The Bank by Yona Zeldis McDonough (R)

Mia Saul is barely keeping her head above water.  She lives in New York City with her daughter, Eden, and works a series of temp editorial jobs.  Her husband, Lloyd, has walked out after sixteen years of marriage for a young girl he met while filming a documentary on the nail salon industry.  He sends child support haphazardly  when it suits him, but still considers himself able to interfere in all of Mia's decisions.  Mis is constantly worried.  Worried about Eden, who is having trouble at school, worried about money, worried about their apartment, just worried. 

Then one night it happens.  She goes to an ATM to take out one hundred dollars, and the machine gives her two hundred, while putting out a receipt for the hundred she asked for.  She assumes the machine just made a mistake and it would reflect on her next statement, but the mistake doesn't show up.  The next time it is five hundred, then a thousand, and finally an uncirculated ten-thousand dollar bill.  Mis can't believe what is happening, but doesn't tell anyone.  She starts to give money to those around her in need, trying to make their lives a little better as the money does hers.

But worse is to happen.  She sells the bill to a local dealer, who then gets killed soon after.  That brings the police to Mia's door, and she is even arrested and spends a night in jail.  This just provides more ammunition to Lloyd, who manages to get Mia's family on his side.  They all insist that she is making poor decisions that affect Eden, and Eden goes to live with her grandparents, leaving Mia miserable.

Along with these woes, there are romantic ones.  Will Mia get back with Lloyd, who seems to be around more and more?   Will she start a new relationship with Fred, the steady laid-back bartender who is definately interested in her?  Or will she throw everything away for an exciting mystery man who everyone thinks is totally wrong for her?

Breaking The Bank is a charming book.  It is a light romance as well as an interesting take on the everyday life of single moms.  The reader finds themselves cheering for Mia to make it.  This book is recommended for those looking for a feel-good book, and for lovers of women's literature. 

GIVEAWAY!!!! JUST FOOD BY JAMES MCWILLIAMS

We suffer today from food anxiety, bombarded as we are with confusing messages about how to eat an ethical diet that's good for you and the planet.  Should we eat locally?  Is organic really better for the environment?  Can genetically modified foods be good for you? 

JUST FOOD does for fresh food what Fast Food Nation (Houghton Mifflin, 2001) did for fast food, challenging conventional views, and cutting through layers of myth and misinformation. 
For instance, an imported tomato is more energy-efficient than a local greenhouse-grown tomato. And farm-raised freshwater fish may soon be the most sustainable source of protein.  Informative and surprising, JUST FOOD tells us how to decide what to eat, and how our choices can help save the planet and feed the world.

James McWilliams is an associate professor of history at Texas State University. He was a fellow at Yale University's Agrarian Studies Program, and is the author of three previous books. He has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times. He lives in Austin, TX.

Giveaway Rules
 
YOU MUST, MUST, MUST LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS SO I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN.  I HATE TO SEE ENTRIES WHERE I CAN'T TRACK DOWN THE WINNER AND THEY LOSE THEIR PRIZE.
 
1. The contest starts Saturday, October 10th and ends on Friday, October 23rd.

2. Winning entries will be chosen by a random number generator.

3. In order to claim your prize, you must respond to the notification email within three days.
4. For one entry, comment below and tell us a food worry you have or something you believe is a food myth.  For example, I love baby spinach but now worry when I buy it because of the food poisoning scares.

5. For extra entries, you get one more for any or all of the following: become or be a follower of Booksie's Blog, post about the giveaway on your blog, or tweet about it and send me the address.
6. Winners must have a street address delivery in the US or Canada. No PO Boxes allowed, sorry!

Good luck!  This looks like a great book!

The Shimmer by David Morrell (R)

Dan Page's wife, Tori, has disappeared.   Frantic with worry, he puts out requests to police to locate her knowing that they will do their best as he is a policeman also.  He gets a call the next day from a little town in Texas named Rostov.  The man on the phone says Tori has been found, but when Dan asks if she is all right, he is told he needs to come and see for himself.

When Dan gets there, he finds that Tori seems to be mesmerized and in another world.  She has come to Rostov because of a local feature; mysterious lights that some can see and some cannot.  Tori can see them and is spending most of each night just staring at the lights.  She is joined by many others, who all seem fascinated by what they are seeing; at least at first.  While Dan tries to get Tori to leave, a man seems to have a psychotic break, and starts firing at the crowd.  Multiple individuals are killed and the man gets Dan in his sights.  Coming out of her trance, Tori grabs a sheriff's gun and kills the madman.

Others start to be affected by the lights.  The lights are located outside of a military installation, or as things evolve in the Page's understanding, the installation has been located near the lights.  Personnel at the base start to have the same kind of breakdowns that the man at the observation field did, and more and more people are killed.  In the midst of this, Dan and Tori do their best to determine what is going on, and what part the lights play in the havoc that has come to Rostov.

David Morrell has written twenty-three other novels.  The most famous are probably the Rambo novels that the popular movie series was based on.  In The Shimmer, Morrell has created another suspenseful world that draws the reader to find the answers to the questions he poses.  This book is recommended to thriller readers.

Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis

In this fourth book of The Chronicles of Narnia, things are not going well.  The King and his wife have both died, and their heir, Prince Caspian, is being raised by his uncle, Miraz.  Miraz takes the throne and declares himself King.  Caspian escapes and finds his way to Narnia.

Miraz never believed in any of the old tales about Narnia, talking animals, dwarves or even Aslan.  Caspian does, and is delighted to encounter all of these characters when he arrives in Narnia.  The dwarves and animals all pledge their loyalty to Caspian, but Miraz is determined to put an end to him once and for all.  He brings an army and the battle for control of the kingdom begins.

Outnumbered, things are not going well for Caspian and his forces.  Fearing defeat, he blows the magic horn left behind by Susan when she, Peter, Edmund and Lucy reigned the land.  Although it was a thousand years ago, the tales of their heroics and kind governance remain part of the fabric of Narnia.  The horn is supposed to bring the four to the aid of whomever blows it.  Desparate, Caspian does just that.

Back in England, the four children are in a train station, ready to journey back to their respective schools after holiday.  To them, only a year has passed since their time in Narnia.  But when the horn sounds, they are transported back, only to find that little remained that they recognized.  They met up with a dwarf from the Caspian army, and he took them to meet Caspian.  There, they fight at his side with the help of Aslan who awakens the old magic of the land and Mariz and his army are defeated.  Caspian will be King Caspian and rule Narnia as it's rightful ruler.

This was another enjoyable journey back to the land of Narnia.  This book is recommended for young readers, and for parents who wish to share the adventure with their children, and for lovers of fantasy series.

COMPLETED!!!! HUGE GIVEAWAY!!!! FIVE BOOKS FOR HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

This is a HUGE giveaway! Five lucky winners will receive all five books from Hachette. The titles included are:

Zumba® By Beto Perez , Maggie Greenwood-Robinson
Evenings at the Argentine Club By Julia Amante
Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz By Belinda Acosta
Tell Me Something True By Leila Cobo

Amigoland By Oscar Casares

What better way to celebrate our love of Hispanic culture than by reading great books!

Giveaway Rules

1. The contest starts Sunday, September 27th and ends on Wednesday, October 7th.

2. Winning entries will be chosen by a random number generator. All entries MUST have a valid email address; those without email addresses will be disqualified.

3. In order to claim your prize, you must respond to the notification email by Friday, October 9th.

4. For one entry, comment below and tell us one thing you're grateful to this culture for. It might be food, music, art, books, whatever makes you happy.

5. For extra entries, you get one more for any or all of the following: become or be a follower of Booksie's Blog, post about the giveaway on your blog, or tweet about it and send me the address.

6. Winners must have a street address delivery in the US or Canada. No PO Boxes allowed, sorry!

Good luck! This is an incredibly generous offer from Hachette.

Across The Endless River by Thad Carhart

In Indian culture, the ocean was called "the endless river" as no one ever sailed across it. Thad Carhart explores the life of Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau, who was the baby born to Sacagawea on the explorations of Lewis and Clark, where she served as a translator. Because of this connection with Americans, Jean-Baptiste grew up with connections both to his Indian heritage, the French trapping culture of his father, and the American/English culture. Sacagawea died when Baptiste was eight, and he lived after that with Captain Clark, who treated him as a ward and provided him with an education. There, he met and grew to know a German nobleman, Duke Paul of Wurttemberg. Paul is in America to satisfy his longing to make a name for himself as a natural history scientist. Baptiste is invaluable to his efforts, serving as a guide and helping him capture various wild animals.

When Paul returns to Europe, he convinces Jean-Baptiste to go with him.  What is meant as a short journey ends in Jean-Baptiste staying as Paul's guest for five years. He learns about European royal culture and it's strict structure for every part of life. During these years, Baptiste learns about royal hunting, familial expectations, music, art and various scientific studies. He also forms relationships with two women. One is a young widow, Theresa, who is Paul's cousin and who starts a friendship with Baptiste that turns into an affair. He also forms a relationship with the daughter of a wine-merchant to European nobility. Maura is half French and half Irish, and understands better than anyone else the way that Jean-Baptiste feels balanced between two opposing worlds.

Thad Carhart has done extensive research into this man's life, and it is evident in his writing. One of the strongest examples is the contrast in hunting. The reader is taken along on an Indian hunt for buffalo, and this writing is exciting and compelling. When Baptiste goes to Europe, this hunting, which is done for survival, is contrasted with the very formalised hunt performed by the noblemen, where one animal is selected, his moments traced, and he is harried to exhustion and then executed. Another example is Carhart's writing of the ceremony that young Indian men underwent to become braves. It is a chilling ceremony, and the reader is transported into the smokey, loud tent in which the ceremony occurs. The contrast in European culture is the stylized dance that Baptiste attends, where all moves are structured and there is a definate pattern to every stage of the evening. This book is recommended for lovers of historical fiction. I enjoyed getting to know Jean-Baptiste, and I think others will also.

 

Reviewed for Book Pleasures

Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer

Jonathan Safran Foer has written an amazing debut novel in Everything Is Illuminated. It explores the Jewish culture and history in the Ukraine. A young American writer, also named Jonathan Safran Foer, has come to this country to find his family's history. In particular, he wants to find the woman who saved his grandfather from the Nazi's. In order to accomplish this, he engages the services of Alex Perchov, a young Ukrainian translator. The men take off an a journey of exploration and discovery, accompanied by Alex's grandfather and the family dog, Sammy Davis Junior, Junior.

Jonathan knows the name of the village his family came from, Trachimbrod. Unfortunately, that name is not on any maps, nor can they find anyone who knows anything about such a place. Finally, they find an old woman who says she has been waiting for years for someone to come and ask about this place and all that occurred there.

The book is told through several devices. Some of the narrative is Alex writing to Jonathan after Jonathan's return to America. These portions are where we find out Alex's story and his hopes and desires. Another part is the recounting of the journey they take. Finally, stories of the Jewish people in this region are interwoven with the current narratives.

Foer has written an amazing debut novel. It is, by turns, ribald, humorous, breathtakingly depressing, passionate and trivial. The stories of the families that made up Trachimbrod over centuries are told. It explores love, betrayal, kindness, violence, hopes for the future and actions grounded and caught in the past. There were scenes that made me laugh out loud, and scenes that brought me close to tears. This book is recommended for those readers looking for a unique reading experience that validates the human experience.

To Serve Them All My Days by R. F. Delderfield

David Powlett-Jones returns from three years experiencing the horrors of trench warfare during World War I. Injured and suffering the after-effects of shell-shock, he turns to teaching. He finds a job teaching history at Bamfylde School in Cornwall, England.

Driven by his experiences, David soon finds that he is not as interested in teaching history as it has always been taught at Bamfylde; a dry complilation of dates, battles and rulers as he is in opening the eyes of his students to the reality of war. He believes that there is rarely a reason for war, and that the damage is so severe that only as a last resort should it be contemplated. The boys he teaches are quite interested in this viewpoint, and David becomes a popular master with them. His theories find opposing views among some of the other masters, however. The chief of his opponents is Carter, who teaches science and heads up the student Cadet Corps. He vehemently opposes Powlett-Jones, and tries to thwart his teaching style however he can.

As David heals, he also finds love. He marries a nurse, Beth, and they are blessed with twin daughters. David's happiness is short-lived, however, as Beth and one of the daughters are killed in a car accident. Following this, David's life is one of depression, and only teaching and the need to provide for his surviving daughter pulls him through the next decade.

When the headmaster who hired David retires, several candidates for headmaster are considered. David is one candidate, while his nemesis, Carter, is another. The decision is made not to choose either internal candidate for fear of creating havoc at the school. An outsider is chosen. Unfortunately, this outsider is a dictatorial rule-follower, who ruins morale and brings the school close to chaos. When he dies, David is chosen to be the new headmaster.

This coincides with his new relationship. He remarries to Christine, and they have a son. Now in his 40's, David has finally found resolution to many of his questions and concerns, and is in a stable period. But, the drums of war are starting to beat again. David is faced with the prospect of World War II, and readying his students to face another world convulsion.

I can't thank Sourcebooks enough for reprinting the R.F. Delderfield novels. All of them are wonderful reads, engrossing and comforting at the same time. To Serve Them All My Days is an interesting look at not only one man's life and his reaction to war, but a glimpse into the world of British education and the society that had to face two world wars within forty years. It is difficult to comprehend today the amount of death and destruction that was everyday life for most of the world during this time period. This book is recommended for lovers of historical fiction or for anyone interested in a great read.

31 Hours by Masha Hamilton

Carol wakes up, sure that her son, Jonas, is in trouble. He is grown and living on his own, but Carol still feels that tight maternal connection that she believes will always let her know if he needs her. She tries repeatedly to call him, but cannot connect with him. She calls his friends, but no one seems to have seen him lately. She goes to the apartment of his new girlfriend, Vic, but although she catches her coming home, Vic hasn't heard from him either. She is busy working on a new dance show and hasn't been home much herself, so hasn't thought much of Jonas's silence. Carol even contacts Jake, Jonas' father whom she has been divorced from for years to try to get his help. They try to reassure each other, but end up convincing each other that something serious is going on.

Carol is right that Jonas is in trouble. Jonas is still in Manhattan, but has traveled far away in his mind. He is in a new apartment, a temporary waystation set up by Muslim extremists to house those recruits the night before they commit terrorist attacks. Jonas is there praying and purifying himself. Tomorrow morning he will strap on a vest filled with explosives and enter the subway to set it off. He doesn't want to die, but wants to make a statement that the violence worldwide must end. He is convinced that his sacrifice and the deaths of others will make his point.

The reader meets other residents of New York City. There is Mara, Vic's little sister, who considers Jonas like a big brother. Mara is the only child left at home, which means she is left to deal with her parents' breakup and her mother's withdrawal as she grieves about it. Mara decides to ride the subway to her father's new apartment to try to talk him into coming home. We also meet Sonny, who makes his living in the subways, panhandling and getting by while homeless.

Masha Hamilton has created an intriguing story. The tension rachets up with every page, as the reader realises that this is really happening, and wonders if Carol and Jake will find Jonas in time to stop him. The author is adept at setting the atmosphere of a busy city. Her real forte though is character development. Each character, no matter how large or small their part in the story, is fully developed to the point that one feels one could pick them out of a crowd. She makes us feel what each is feeling. It is impossible to put this book down without finding out what happens next. This book is recommended for all readers.

LAST DAY GIVEAWAY!!!!! THE LOST DOG BY MICHELLE DE KRETSER

Tom Loxley, an Indian-Australian professor, is less concerned with finishing his book on Henry James than with finding his dog, who is lost in the Australian bush. Joining his daily hunt is Nelly Zhang, an artist whose husband disappeared mysteriously years before Tom met her. Although Nelly helps him search for his beloved pet, Tom isn't sure if he should trust this new friend.


Tom has preoccupations other than his book and Nelly and his missing dog, mainly concerning his mother, who is suffering from the various indignities of old age. He is constantly drawn from the cerebral to the primitive--by his mother's infirmities, as well as by Nelly's attractions. THE LOST DOG makes brilliant use of the conventions of suspense and atmosphere while leading us to see anew the ever-present conflicts between our bodies and our minds, the present and the past, the primal and the civilized.

About The Author

Michelle de Kretser was born in Sri Lanka and emigrated to Australia when she was fourteen. She was educated in Melbourne and Paris and has worked as an editor and a book reviewer. The Hamilton Case, her second novel, received the Commonwealth Writers Prize (SE Asia and Pacific region), and the Society of Authors’ (U.K.) Encore Award for best second novel of the year. It was also first runner-up for Barnes & Noble’s Discover Award in Fiction, and a New York Times Notable Book.


The Lost Dog is her third novel. It was a finalist for the Commonwealth Writers Prize and received the 2008 Christina Stead Prize for fiction.

Giveaway Rules

1. The giveaway starts Saturday, September 12th and ends on Wednesday, September 23rd at midnight.

2. There will be five winners, who will be chosen with a random number generator.

3. For one entry, leave a comment. Your email MUST be in the comment to be included. Comments without emails will not be used in the giveaway.

4. You can get another entry by doing any or all of the following; follow this blog, twitter about this giveaway and post the twitter in your comment, or link to the giveaway on your blog.

5. Winners will have three days to respond with mailing addresses after email notification. After three days, another winner will be chosen to take the place of anyone not responding.

6. Winners must live in the U.S. or Canada, and have a street address. Hachette doesn't mail to P.O. boxes, sorry.

Good luck! I'm excited about this book!

The De-Valuing Of America by William Bennett

In The De-Valuing Of America, William Bennett gives his perspective of his long government career. Bennett was the Secretary of Education under President Ronald Reagan, and what was known as The Drug Czar under President George H.W. Bush. Bennett was known for his strong opinions and his ability to create programs that worked towards the outcomes he wanted to occur.

When it came to drugs, Bennett felt it was a major misservice to our young people to just throw in the towel and say that there is no way to stop drugs. He focused on interdiction and making drugs more expensive. As he traveled throughout the country, he found that parents wanted the government to intervene, and that improving the drug issue would also improve street crime, lack of student motivation and other ills that are often called endemic. During his tenure, in July of 1989, The National Institute of Drug Abuse released it's ninth National Household Survy on Drug Abuse. From the book:

The estimated number of Americans using any illegal drug on a "current" basis had dropped 37 percent: from 23 million in 1985 to 14.5 million in 1988. A survey of high school seniors recorded record significant drops in their overall use and tolerance of drugs. Drug use was down everywhere: in inner cities, in rural and suburban areas, among blacks and whites, rich and poor.

Bennett also held views on education that were not in the mainstream of educational thought. He believed that different standards for children of different races or cultures was reverse discrimination, and set those with lower standards up for failure in later years. He disliked the trend of multicultural education, if it came at the expense of the canons of Western civilization. He was not a fan of teacher unions.

I've had this book for quite a while, and finally decided to read it. It was interesting to me to read his viewpoints and his championing of conservative tenets, and to hear his take on this period of history. This book is recommended for fans of history and political science.

In The Footsteps Of Mr. Kurtz by Michela Wrong

In The Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz follows the history of Mobutu Sese Seko, president of Zaire. The Mr. Kurtz in the title is, of course, Joseph Conrad's character from The Heart Of Darkness; a European who came to conquer the African Congo but instead found failure and madness.

Mobutu was a young scholar and military leader when he took over the reins of the newly independant Zaire. Unlike many African leaders who reign for short periods of time, Mobutu reigned for over thirty years, and took a vibrant, thriving economy to ruins in the process.

Michele Wrong follows and tries to understand what went wrong. The biggest part of the problem was the sheer amount of money that Mobutu and his family and friends took out of the country. Hundreds of millions of dollars were diverted from trade, aid, and thriving businesses to their secret bank accounts. While Mobutu was a master manipulator of people and understood how to do that, he was bored by economic concepts and ignored what his policies did to the country.

Wrong covers all the areas in this tragedy. Those who had thriving businesses but were not African had their properties confiscated. Aid meant for refugees was diverted, and by the time Mobutu left, the average life expectency had fallen to the mid-fifties and diseases that had been reined in were once again rampent. Trade with other countries had dried up, as no one could count on contracts being honored. One of the richest countries in resources was left with a crumbling infrastructure and everyday services such as phones or electricity worked on a hit-or-miss basis.

This was an interesting book. I found the history itself interesting, as well as the blame that could be apportioned to international agencies like the IMF, which continued to give huge loans to Zaire when it was evident they would not be repaid, or the governments of Belgium, France and the U.S., which provided help to Mobutu regardless of his actions under the theory of "better the devil you know". This book is recommended for those interested in the history of Africa, or in reading how the best of plans often go astray.

GIVEAWAY!!!! MAKE AHEAD MEALS FOR BUSY MOMS BY JANE DOIRON

One of the hardest things about being a working mom is getting home at 5:30 or 6:00 still facing the need to feed everyone. Complicated meals are out due to time preparation, and most moms don't want to feed their families take-out or fast food all the time.

Jane Doiron has written a book that helps with this problem. In Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, she outlines a variety of interesting meals that are easy, nutritious and that will appeal to kids.

The book is broken down into categories of meals. There are sections for Appetizers, Breakfast and Brunch, Dessert, Main Dishes, Side Dishes and Soups. The recipes use standard ingredients, which is appealing. There is nothing worse than starting food preparation at the end of the day and encountering a rare ingredient that isn't readily available. These recipes use common ingredients that would be found in almost any kitchen. They are also mostly uncomplicated, without major amounts of time needed to prepare and cook.

The main thing about all of the meals in the book are that they can either be assembled ahead, frozen ahead or cooked ahead and reheated. Even though the recipes are easy in most cases, the thought of just coming home and popping an appetizing meal in the oven is heaven sent.

I really liked this book and the recipes. One of the first ones I'll be trying is honey-mustard chicken fingers. Jane suggest dipping the chicken in a honey-mustard sauce, then breading it. I know this one will be a huge hit at my house.

I'm also doing a giveaway of this book. I have one copy to give away.

Contest Rules

1. The giveaway starts Saturday, September 19th and ends Wednesday, September 30th at midnight.

2. For an entry, leave a comment with your email address. Those comments without emails in the comment will be eliminated.

3. You can get additional entries by being a follower, or tweeting or blogging about the giveaway.

4. The winner must live in the U.S. and have a valid street address.

5. The winner will have three days to respond to notification with their mailing address. If they don't respond, another winner will be chosen by random number generation as the first one was.

Good luck! This is a great resource for moms and anyone faced with cooking for a family.

Boneman's Daughters by Ted Dekker

Seven young girls in Texas have lost their lives to a diabolic serial killer. Dubbed The Boneman by the media, he kidnaps girls and kills them by breaking their bones without breaking their skin. He seems to be able to steal girls and evade the police at will. The Boneman has taken a two-year break, but he's ready to start again.

Ryan Evans is a Navy intelligence officer. He is back in Texas from a tour in Iraq, where he is captured by the enemy and psychologically tortured. He is made to watch as a Muslim fanatic kills Iraqi children one by one by breaking their bones. Kalid tells Ryan that he can stop the torture anytime. All Ryan has to do is give his own wife and daughter's address so that they can be killed in place of the children. Ryan manages to withstand the torture and escape, only to have a subsequent breakdown.

The Navy sends him home to heal. Ryan wants to use the time to reestablish ties with his wife and even more, with his daughter Brittany. He has been absent for much of her life on overseas assignments. He is shocked when he returns to find that his wife is now in love with another man, and that Brittany has turned against him, believing that he has never put her needs first. They want no part of him in their lives.

Bad as this is, there is worse to come. Ryan wakes one day to find that the Boneman has taken a new victim, and that victim is Brittany. Desparate to find her before she is killed, he finds that the police have misinterpreted the evidence and believe that Ryan himself is the murderer. He is now fighting the clock to try and save Brittany on his own, while evading both Boneman and the police. Boneman seems to be ahead of Ryan at every turn, and holds the key by holding Brittany's life in his hands. Ryan is at his mercy, and must do whatever the Boneman wants to try to save his daughter.

The suspense in this book is mind-altering. The thought of a child being taken is a parent's worst nightmare, and if that kidnapping was done by a serial killer, it is beyond belief. Dekker has created a nightmare character in Boneman that will remain in the minds of readers for a very, very long time. This book is recommended for thriller and horror readers.