Here’s a recap of what happened this past month here at the Maw Books Blog:

Books Reviewed in March

Fiction

Yikes!  None this month.  Did read a couple but still in the review pile.

Young Adult Fiction

• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• Emiko Superstar by Mariko Tamaki, Illustrated by Steve Rolston
• Chiggers by Hope Larson
• Fade by Lisa McMann
• Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott
• Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Middle Readers

• Jellaby by Kean Soo
• Peace, Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
• Longhorns and Outlaws by Linda Aksomitis
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney
• The 13th Reality: The Hunt for Dark Infinity by James Dashner
• Holbrook: A Lizards Tale by Bonny Becker
• My Brother, The Robot by Bonny Becker

Picture Books

• Mary Veronica’s Egg by Mary Nethery, Illustrated by Paul Yalowtiz
• A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker, Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton
• An Ant’s Day Off by Bonny Becker, Illustrated by Nina Laden
• The Christmas Crocodile by Bonny Becker, Illustrated by David Small

Non-Fiction

Nothing reviewed this month although I did read a memoir that I’ll review in April.

Author Interviews

• Linda Aksomitis, Author of Longhorns and Outlaws
• Mary Nethery, Children’s Author and Co-Author of Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship and Survival
• Bonny Becker, Author of A Visitor for Bear and More!

Reader Spotlights

• Trish from Trish’s Reading Nook!
• Jen (aka Ladytink_534) of The Movieholic & Bibliophile’s Blog

Video Chats

• Video Chat: Talking About Signed Books (A Show and Tell)
• Video Chat: Talking More About Book Destruction (A Show and Tell)

Book Lists

• New York Times Bestsellers – March 29th
• New York Times Bestsellers – March 22nd
• New York Times Bestseller List – March 15th
• New York Times Bestsellers – March 8th

More Posts During January

• More on Meeting Laurie Halse Anderson and a Signed Wintergirls Giveaway!
• An Open Letter to Laurie Halse Anderson
• On Meeting Jodi Picoult and an AMAZING Giveaway!
• Reading for a Cause: The Ides of March Madness Charity Book Reading Tournament
• Butter Bean Cookies from Shana Burg’s Debut Novel, A Thousand Never Evers
• Have You Ever Caused or Been On the Receiving End of a Book/Reading Related Accident?
• Mmmm . . . Mrs. Perez’s Drop-Dead Delicous Lemon Squares from Donna Gephart’s Debut Novel, As If Being 12 3/4 Isn’t Bad Enough My Mother is Running For President
• February Search Terms – The Crazy Stuff That Brought People to My Blog
• Reading & Blogging Review for February

Flashback:  The Maw Books Blog a Year Ago

Books I reviewed a year ago March: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult, Bee Season by Myla Goldberg, The Fiction Class by Susan Breen, Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne, Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata, Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis, Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata, Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, Parvana’s Journey by Deborah Ellis, Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy, Fablehaven by Brandon Mull, Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza, Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood by Ibtisam Barakat.

Looking Ahead to April

• Upcoming Reviews.  My husband and I both read The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker and I’ll be posting my first joint book review with him.  I can’t wait.  Other outstanding reviews to look for are Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguiz, Losing Kei by Suzanne Kamata , Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson, The Scent of Sake by Joyce Lebra.  I’ll be on tour with The Mechanics of Falling by Catherine Brady. Plus I have a whole slew of picture books that I really, really need to review.  And of course, whatever else I manage to read this next month.

• Upcoming Author Interviews. I hope to have at least three interviews in April with Suzanne Kamata, author of Losing Kei, Emily Wing Smith, author of The Way He Lived and maybe Catherine Brady, author of The Mechanics of Falling.

• Features. Plan to have at least two more video chats and 3-4 reader spotlights.  I’ve also made two new author recipes that I hope to write about, a yummy sandwich and a pasta dish.   And because I really, really need to post about it, if I write it down maybe I’ll do it:  meeting Richard Peck with a signed book giveaway.

• The 24 Hour Read-a-Thon!!!!!!!! Seriously, so excited!  I’ve never been able to participate before, but the calender is looking clear!  I finally broached the subject with my husband who simply said, “Okay, tell  me when and I’ll watch the kids!”  How cool is he?  He watched me watch the last two read-a-thons with dejection.  So I think he knows how much I want to do it!  Go sign up!!

Challenge Updates

No challenges completed this month.  The Jewish Literature Challenge ends in April and while I did really well last year, I don’t think I’m going to do so hot this year.  AND I must figure out a system to actually go over to the challenge blogs and link my reviews because I’m really, really behind.  Most of all the books I do read fall into one challenge or another.  They are (click to be taken to my list and then to be taken to challenge blog):

• A-Z Author & Title Challenge
• Dewey’s Books Reading Challenge
• Jewish Literature Challenge
• New Author Challenge
• Read Your Own Books Challenge
• Support Your Local Library Challenge
• Themed Reading Challenge
• War Through the Generations Challenge

Awards

Melissa from BooK Nut gave me the Zombie Chicken award which cracks me up.  “The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken – excellence, grace and persistence is all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all …”  I definitely don’t want to risk the wrath of zombie chickens, so I’ll take the easy way out (simply because there was five) and pass it on to the bloggers below.

Amy from My Friend Amy gave me the Sisterhood award.  I love having so many sisters in this community and I’m thrilled that Amy thinks the same.

Jeane from Dog Ear Diary passed along the Proximade award which is described as:  this blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated.

Sharon from SherMeree’s Musing gave me the I Love Your Blog award.  After connecting with each other on our blogs, Sharon joined our face to face children’s lit book club.  It was fun to meet and I can’t wait to get to know her even more!

Alyce from At Home With Books gave me the Butterfly award.  And she fixed the wording.  Yay!

Molly from My Cozy Book Nook passed on the Your Blog is Fabulous award.  Thanks Molly!

Carnivals

Lots of carnivals going on this month!  Lots of book reviews all in one place.

• Stacy at book:thirtyis hosting the current Book Review Blog Carnival.  I totally forgot to submit something this time around but I did manage to submit to the 13th Edition of the Book Review Blog  Carnival which was hosted by Ruth at Bookish Ruth with my book reviews of  Chains, Speak, and Laurie Halse Anderson’s newest book, Wintergirls.

• Quiverfull Family is hosting the 25th Edition of the Bookworms Carnival which focused on parenting books.  Being the unorganized person that I was this past month, I also missed this carnival. Check out the Bookworms Carnival website for info on all upcoming editions.

• The March Edition of the Carnival of Children’s Literature is hosted by Jenny’s Wonderland of Books.  One of these days I’m going to remember to submit a post to it.

Other Items of Note

• One of the highlights from this past month was receiving an email from Jacqueline Woodson telling me I had a fabolous blog and a beautiful family.  I gave a little squee when I realized it was the Jacqueline Woodson.  So thrilled.

• My favorite posts this month? If I’m not thinking book reviews, definitely my open Letter to Laurie Halse Anderson and videos that I took.  The Jodi Picoult Q&A was fun to share as well as the butter bean cookies and lemon squares recipes.  Loved the reader spotlights too.

• Book Giveaways. There is still plenty of time to enter into my two huge giveaways, but you don’t want to forget!  Right now I’ve got a signed Wintergirls from Laurie Halse Anderson as well as seven signed Jodi Picoult books.  Seriously.  I just said seven. Go enter now.

New Archives Page.  Just a heads up that I’ve set up a pretty thorough archives page. This has been on my to do list for approximately forever.  You should now be able to find most anything that you are looking for.  Take a look and tell me what you think.

• Feed Not Updating. A lot of my subscribers have not been receiving updates.  I still can’t find a rhyme or reason to it as it seems to be pretty random across readers and such.  But everybody who had problems told me that unsubscribing and resubscribing has fixed whatever problem it was.  So if the last post that showed up in your reader was Fade by Lisa McMann, then please resubscribe.  Sorry about the mess.  I’m clueless.

• Not subscribed at all? As you can see from this recap, there is always something going on.  Don’t miss any of it by receiving updates via email or through your favorite reader. Think you want to know even more about me?  Follow me on Twitter.

This month in review post is pretty lengthy but it’s easy to read so skim to whatever catches your attention.  Here’s a recap of what happened this past month here at the Maw Books Blog:

Books Reviewed in February

Fiction

• Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center
• Matrimony by Joshua Henkin
• The Only True Genius in the Family by Jennie Nash
• Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
• Ruby Among Us by Tina Ann Forkner

Young Adult Fiction

• Letters from a Slave Girl: The Story of Harriet Jacobs by Mary E. Lyons
• The Way He Lived by Emily Wing Smith
• The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox
• Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen
  

Middle Readers

• The Year the Swallows Came Early by Kathryn Fitzmaurice
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
• The Well by Mildred D. Taylor

Picture Books

• Ella the Elegant Elephant by Carmela and Steve D’Amico
• Ella Sets the Stage by Carmela and Steve D’Amico
• Ella Takes the Cake by Carmela and Steve D’Amico
• Ella Sets Sail by Carmela and Steve D’Amico
• Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki, illustrated by Dom Lee
• Passage to Freedom by Ken Mochiuki, illustrated by Dom Lee (narrative biography)
• Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
• Moses:  When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
• The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Cole, illustrated by George Ford
• Consider Love, Its Moods and Many Ways by Sandra Boynton
• Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope by Nikki Grime, illustrated by Bryan Collier
• Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Hudson Talbott
  

Non-Fiction

• Be Water, My Friend: The Early Years of Bruce Lee by Ken Mochizuki, illustrated by Dom Lee (picture book)
• The Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights by Russel Freedman (Juvenile)
• Frogs by Nic Bishop (Juvenile)
• Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges (Juvenile)
• Freedom Walkers, The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Russell Freedman (Juvenile)
• An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination by Elizabeth McCracken (Memoir)
• Surviving Ben’s Suicide, A Woman’s Journey of Self Discovery by C. Comfort Shields (Memoir)

Author Interviews

• Carmela and Steve D’Amico, authors of the Ella the Elephant series
• Ken Mochizuki, children’s and young adult author
• Kathryn Fitzmaurice, author of The Year the Swallows Came Early
• Katherine Center, author of Everyone is Beautiful
• Joshua Henkin, author of Matrimony
• Jennie Nash, author of The Only True Genius in the Family
• Tina Ann Forkner, author of Ruby Among Us
  

Reader Spotlights

• Jeanette from A Comfy Chair and a Good Book

Video Chats

• A Few Favorite Children’s Books and a Reading From My Little Boy

Book Lists

• The 2009 Cybils Award Winners and Finalists
• New York Times Bestsellers – February 15th
• New York Times Bestsellers – February 8th
• New York Times Bestsellers – February 1st

More Posts During January

• Thank You to My February Visitors – Let’s Spotlight a Few!
• What is the Most Horrific Way You’ve Ruined a Book?
• Discussion Question: Does an Author’s Personal Belief System Impact If or How You Support Them?
• Reading/Blogging Review for January

Flashback:  The Maw Books Blog a Year Ago

I thought it would be fun to see what was going on a year ago.  Last February I received the amount of traffic all month in what I now have in just a single day.  A 30x improvement.  So exciting to see the changes!

Books I reviewed a year ago February:  Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee, Austenland by Shannon Hale, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards, Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency byAlexander McCall Smith, Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson, The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis, The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen, Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater, and Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.  I continually get comments on Eat Pray Love and it’s in my top ten commented posts of all time.

Looking Ahead to March

• Upcoming Reviews.  I still managed to read (don’t ask me how I did) a few books in February that I’ll be reviewing this upcoming march.  Watch for book reviews of Fade by Lisa McMann, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson, The 13th Reality:  The Hunt for Dark Infinity by James Dashner, Emiko Superstar by Mariko Tamaki and Steve Roltson, Chiggers by Hope Larson, Jellaby by Kean Soo, There’s a Wolf at the Door: Five Classic Tales written by Zoe Alley (these last four all Cybils nominated graphic novels).  Of course, reviews of whatever I manage to read this month as well, I have a huge pile left over from February.

• Upcoming Author Interviews. First up this week on the 2nd and 3rd are book reviews and an author interview with children’s author Bonny Becker.  Also, watch for an interview with Mary Nethery, children’s author, on the 4th.  It’s my privilege to be hosting Linda Aksomitis on the 19th with a review and interview for her new middle grade novel Longhorns and Outlaws.  I think that’s it but who knows what may pop up!

• Author Events and Book Signings.  Laurie Halse Anderson is coming to the Kings English Bookshop here in SLC  to promote her new book Wintergirls (which I’ve read so watch for a review soon).  I’d like to read Twisted and Fever 1793 before I go to her reading and book signing just so I can say I’ve read all of her books.  Watch for a post about her visit.  Plus, I’ll also be going to a reading and signing for Jodi Picoult who will be at the King’s English as well.  Can’t wait for both!!

• Features. Plan to have at least two more video chats and 4-6 reader spotlights.  I’ve got some great discussion posts in the works as well.  And I’ve made a yummy author recipe that I’d love to share with you.

Hmm . . . .wondering what will be left behind.  I can’t possible get to it all.

Challenge Updates

Three reading challenges finished up this month.  First up was Books for the Heart Challenge hosted by Michelle at 1 More Chapter.  The goal was to sponsor your reading and donate a certain amount of money for every book you read or pages read to the American Heart Association.  I’ve decided that I’m going to donate .50 cents a review which will come to $15. Thanks Michelle for this opportunity!

Hosted by 3 M at 1morechapter, the 1% Well Read Challenge ended this month.  The goal was to read 10 books in 10 months from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list.  As you can see I failed miserably at only two books read.  Oh well.  I still want to read them all.  My list was:

• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
• Saturday by Ian McEwan
• Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
• Atonement by Ian McEwan
• The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
• One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• If This Is a Man by Primo Levi
• Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

The Lit Flicks Challenge hosted by Jessica of Bluestocking Society ended this month as well.   The movie adaptations that I watched were Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Witches, and Sarah Plain and Tall.  While not based specifically on the books, Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges and The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles but rather her life story I also watched Disney’s Ruby Bridges.  Thanks Jessica for hosting such a fun challenge!  The books I read between September and February that have been made into movies (and a few which are in production) were:

• Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen
• The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan
• Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl
• Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
• Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
• Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
• A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Siji
• Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
• How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
• The Witches by Roald Dahl
• The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

I did read a lot of books that qualify for the  other reading challenges I’m participating in.  They are (click to be taken to my list and then to be taken to challenge blog):

• A-Z Author & Title Challenge
• Dewey’s Books Reading Challenge
• Jewish Literature Challenge
• New Author Challenge
• Read Your Own Books Challenge
• Support Your Local Library Challenge
• Themed Reading Challenge
• War Through the Generations Challenge

Awards

Molly from My Cozy Book Nook gave me the Fabulous Blog Award.  She listed a lot of blogs that were MUST reads and I was humbled to be among them.  Thanks Molly!

Lynn at Chronicle of an Infant Bibliophile shared the Kreative Blogger award.  Thanks Lynn!  Lynn is here in Salt Lake City too and has a great blog where she shares the books that she reads with her 15 month old son.

Mari at MariReads shared the Premios Dardo Award which acknowledges the values that every blogger shows in his/her effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary and personal values every day.  Thanks Mari for thinking I share those values!

Kristina at Kristina Favorites shared this sweet award which describes itself as “These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated.”  Even though Kristina knows that I have a really, really bad habit of not passing awards along, that she thought of me.  Thanks Kristina!

Carnivals

Lots of carnivals going on this month!  Lots of book reviews all in one place.  I highly recommend checking them all out!

• Heather from Age 30+ is hosting the current Book Review Blog Carnival.  I totally forgot to submit something this time around (story of my life) but I did manage to submit to the 11th Edition of the Book Review Blog  Carnival which was hosted by Nicole at Linus’s Blanket with  my book review of The Only True Genius in the Family, by Jennie Nash.

• Jessica at Bluestocking Society is hosting the 23rd Edition of the Bookworms Carnival which focuses on books being made into movies.  I submitted two reviews of books that are currently in production and I’m excited to see them being made into movies:  What is the What by Dave Eggers and The Devil Came on Horseback:  Bearing Witness to the Genocide in Darfur by Brian Steidle and Gretchen Wallace Steidle.

• Tracy at Bookroom Reviews is currently hosting the Book Giveaway Carnival from March 2nd-8th.  Head on over to see what fun prizes lots of book bloggers will be giving away.

• The February Edition of the Carnival of Children’s Literature is hosted by Lynn at Imaginary Blog.  Another carnival that I always forget to post reviews too but I love seeing what’s been gathered.

Other Items of Note

• Black History Month. You may have noticed that I celebrated Black History Month by reviewing 12 books that celebrate the history of blacks in the United States.  While the posts didn’t seem popular or generate a lot of comments, I enjoyed doing them and plan on doing the same thing next year.  I read some amazing books! It was great to have a theme for the month.  Check out all my reviews tagged Black History to explore those reviews.

• My favorite posts this month? Hmm . . .  that’s a really hard one.  My favorites this month were probably all of my author interviews because I put so much time into the research and questions.  It also helps that the authors all gave such great answers!  Certainly my two most commented posts this month were the horrific ways we’ve ruined books and how an author’s belief system impacts whether or not we’ll support them.  My video chat this month was a favorite of mine.  I’ve probably watched that video 20 times because I just can’t get over how darn cute I think my own child  is.

• Book Giveaways. I gave away a fair amount of books this month!  To cut down on the number of times I have to post I’ve started to announce the winners in the comment threads of the giveaway posts but wanted to highlight them at the end of the month here.  Kim at Good Clean Reads won a ARC of Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center,  Sandy from You’ve Gotta Read This! won a signed copy of Matrimony by Joshua Henkin, Hannah at Word Lily won a signed copy of The Only True Genius in the Family by Jennie Nash, Amber S. won a copy of Ruby Among Us by Tina Ann Forkner.  Congrats everybody!

• Directories. As you can tell from my sidebar there are a lot of great book blog directories to discover your favorite book blogs.  The newest that I wanted to highlight is the new amazing website called Kidlitosphere Central which is the brain child of Pam at MotherReader.  Did I ever mention that I feel like Pam is a celebrity?  She’s the glue that practically holds the Kidlitosphere together.  The new website describes itself as “The “KidLitosphere” is a community of reviewers, librarians, teachers, authors, illustrators, publishers, parents, and other book enthusiasts who blog about children’s and young adult literature. In writing about books for children and teens, we’ve connected with others who share our love of books. With this website, we hope to spread the wealth of our reading and writing experience more broadly.”  I’m in love with the place.  Go check it out.

• Milestones:  10,000 comment and 500th post! I hit some major milestones this month!  I wrote my 500th post (interview with Carmela and Steve D’Amico)  and when I noticed that I was coming up on my 10,000 comment I twittered that I would give a book to my 10,000 commenter from anything in my giveaway pile.  Deborah from Books, Movies, and Chinese Food picked up a hardcover of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for hitting the lucky number!  Thank you so much for making this whole blog thing worth it!  I get a thrill with every comment that comes in.  Here’s to another 10,000 comments and to another 500 posts!

• My blog was hacked into not once but twice this month! So thank you to all of you who bore with me while we fixed things.  Basically, they accessed my ht access file and rewrote it to redirect all traffic coming from  major search engines to another site.  What a pain in the butt to fix it and then have them do it again.  If you ever think anything is funny don’t hesitate to let me know so I can take care of it.

• Not subscribed yet to the Maw Books Blog? As you can see from this recap, there is always something going on.  Don’t miss any of it by receiving updates via email or through your favorite reader. Can’t get enough?  Follow me on Twitter.

Phew!  Did you make it?  Or are you passed out on information overload?  Thanks for a great month (and I said I was going to relax this year!)

So here’s the deal:  As a thank you for visiting this edition of the Book Review Blog Carnival, I’d like to give you a holiday gift.  A $10 Amazon gift certificate.  How do you win?  Simply visit three participating blogs and leave them a thoughtful comment.  One of those blogs must be a blog that you have never visited before.  Come back here and tell me.  I’ll pick a winner on Tuesday, December 30th.

So don’t be overwhelmed by how large this carnival is, rather just pick a section that interests you and have fun!

Christmas Reads

• Tarie at Into the Wardrobe presents a book review and author interview of Christine Kringle by Lynn Brittney.  Tarie says it “stirs up Christmas memories and excitement for Christmases to come. It is a story full of good cheer, interesting tidbits about how Christmas is celebrated around the world, and Christmas spirit . . .  It’s a fun Christmas adventure – complete with interesting shopkeepers, mulled wine, a Christmas bazaar, Christmas nuts, and a female Scrooge!”
• Becky at Operation Actually Read Bible shares a book review of Keeping Holiday by Starr Meade. Becky says, “If there’s a resounding theme (or echo) to this Christmas-themed allegory it’s this: You can’t find the Founder; he finds you. He’s not just the Founder, he’s the Finder too.”
  
• Shana at Literarily reviews A Jolly Good Fellow by Stephen V. Masse “A truly heartwarming story that manages to avoid feeling light and fluffy or resorting to holiday clichés.”
• Melissa at Book Nut starts her review of A Christmas Carol by saying, “I don’t think I’m in love with the book, like Hubby (who considers it almost scripture). But, I was surprised how much I enjoyed reading it.”
• Ruth at Books Books and more Books! reviews Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris says, “Wonderfully written Christmas book! WARNING – These are not you Grandmother’s Christmas stories! (Not recommended for children either!)”
• Heather J. at Age 30+ … A Lifetime of Books reviewed The Cole Family Christmas by Jennifer Liu Bryan “I loved this book! It is a wonderful tale of family love and it is well worth reading.”
• Ladytink_534 at The Movieholic & Bibliophile’s Blog reviews The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by Frank L.A. Baum posted saying, “Very seldom will you find books nowadays that were written with children in mind but yet at the same time something and adult can enjoy as well but Mr. Baum does it beautifully.”
• Rebecca at Rebecca Reads gives us a great synopsis of sixteen different children’s Christmas picure books.  There’s surely one that you’ll find to enjoy.
• Amy at Amy’s Haiku Haven presents Snowmen at Night and Snowmen at Christmas by Carlayn and Mark Buehner.  How can you resist when she says, “These two books have simply become some of my new favorite Children’s books?”

Fiction

• Mansur Ahmed at Mansur Ahmed begins his book review by saying ”I cannot reveal to much about the master John le Carre’s superlative espionage novel, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, for I would be guilty of a crime unforgivable in the sanctum of literature. To even take a chance at ruining a first reading of this book is a sin of the most contemptible sort.”
• Jim Murdoch at The Truth About Lies presents When I Was Five I Killed Myself by Howard Buten and of it he says “A review of Howard Buten’s book about a young boy unjustly sent to a mental institution in America in the late 1950s that bears comparison with both Catcher in the Rye and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”
• And following a review given by Jim Murdoch we have a review of a book authored by posted by Guy at Pursewarden who reviews Living with the Truth.  In the review he states, “while I was reading this excellent and absorbing novel I had a strong feeling that it had actually been written by a poet.”
• Audra at True Science Fiction reviews Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card.  “Suffice it to say whether you like scifi, character studies, military dramas, or books about kids learning they don’t always have to fit in, you will like this book”
• Heather J. Age 30+ … A Lifetime of Books reviews The Survivors of the Chancellor by Jules Verne.  If memory serves me correctly Heather also read Jules Verne in the last carnival.  And feel free to sing along during the review.
• Aahz at The F. Paul Wilson Project reviews Deep As The Marrow by F. Paul Wilson’s Best saying, “One part medical thriller; two parts Libertarian tract; and four parts adrenaline packed, page turning action awaits the reader in this pulse-pounding kidnap-gone-wrong adventure.”
• Jaime at Confessions of a Bibliophile reviews the book Triptych by Karin Slaughter. “This was one of my favorite books this year!”
• Nicole B. at Linus’s Blanket reviews The Five Lost Days by William Petrick. “What’s wonderful about this novel is that all the human drama and emotion is set against the back drop of civil war, the beauty of the rainforest, and a culture that moves at a much different place and with different beliefs than what the American filmmakers represent.”
• Jessica at The Bluestocking Society reviews Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery by saying, “Rereading this book and writing this review were two of my favorite book-related experiences this year.”
• Amber at Amber Stults – Book Reviewer and Author reviews the book Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell and says it’s one of the best books she’s read all year.  Go find out why.
• Enjoy science fiction?  See what The Rational Anarchist says about And He Built a Crooked House by Robert A. Heinlein “Be aware of wonder and that child living in all of us will never grow old.”
• Carrie at Books and Movies reviews The Grift by Debra Ginsberg. “I was hooked and couldn’t stop reading. I stayed up until almost 1 am finishing it.”
• Alyce at At Home With Books reviews Blindspot by Jane Kamensky and Jill Lepore.   “Blindspot is at once fiction and history, mystery and love story, tragedy and farce.”
• I can’t say enough how much I loved this book, says Chris at Book-a-Rama as she reviews The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson. Go find out why.
• Carrie at Books and Movies reviewed Fieldwork by MIscha Berlinksi.  “Mischa Berlinski is a journalist; Fieldwork is his first novel. That fact makes its beautiful prose and engrossing story all the more amazing.” Visit to see why Carrie thinks this is a book you should read.
• Melanie at Read Along With Teabird presents Katherine Mansfield: Marriage a la mode saying, “I did a series of re-readings based on Anne Fadiman’s book – this story of Katherine Mansfield was a re-revelation!”
• Vampires?  Witches? Ruth at Books Books and more Books! reviews Hex Appeal by Linda Wisdom saying, “Linda Wisdom has done it again! If you love vampires and witches than this series is for you! If you haven’t read the first book – I suggest that you do!”
• Beth at Beth Fish Reads reviews This Rock by Robert Morgan. Beth says “If you have read Gap Creek, then, despite its flaws, This Rock is a must read. The novel will appeal to those who like an Appalachian setting, fans of Morgan, and perhaps those who are interested in families and family dynamics.”
• Keira at Love Romance Passion presents more of a genre overview in Regency Romance versus Historical Romance. So do you know what genre Pride and Prejudice falls into?
• Clark Bjorke at  I’ll Never Forget the Day I Read a Book! reviews The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski.  “The best novel I have read this year by a long mile. This is a must read if you love novels and/or dogs.”

Young Adult Fiction

• Becky atBecky’s Book Reviews says of the main character in The Opposite of Invisible by Liz Gallagher “Once you meet Alice, you’ll want to either be her, or be her best friend.”
• Fern at Booktrash reviews Panic by Jeff Abbott.  She says “A review of a fast-paced thriller by a well-known author.”  Does she recommend it?  You’ll have to visit to find out.
• Calling all Buffy fans! Stephen Shaw at Kindlelicious presents Buffy: Still Slaying After All These Years in which he reviews Dark Congress by Christopher Golden.  “My review of one of the books in the post-TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer sub-genre.”
• Betty and Boo’s Mommy at The Betty and Boo Chronicles reviews Finding Nouf by Zoe Ferraris. “This novel is different from my typical reading fare, both in its setting as well as the mystery genre. Favorable reviews abound on various book blogs, on Amazon, and on Shelfari.com, and mine is no exception. I enjoyed this tremendously.”
• Valentina at Valentina’s Room chooses The Blue Girl by Charles de Lintas her favorite read of the year.  “I wished I could spend all day reading it, and at the same time I didn’t want to read it too quickly so that I wouldn’t come to the end too soon.”
• Joana at The Symposium reviews Night World No.2 by L.J. Smith “which contains three stories from her popular Night World series. Stories included are Dark Angel, The Chosen, and Soulmate.”
• Jill at The Well-Read Child reviews a great new YA fantasy novel Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception by Maggie Stiefvater.  “Maggie Stiefvater has hit a home run with her first novel, and I can’t wait to read Ballad, the sequel to Lament, which is coming out in the Fall of 2009.”

Children’s & Middle Readers Fiction

• Becky at Young Readers says of Before John Was a Jazz Giant by Carole Weatherford “I just loved, loved, loved this one! It just excites me through and through. It just works. So many things to love, so many reasons why.”  Go visit to find out why.
• Harry Potter fans!  Michele at A Reader’s Respite reviews The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rawling.  I’ve got this one on my wish list.
• Belle at Ms. Bookish reviews Savvy by Ingrid Law. Do I dare say I am really excited to have this book in the house ready to read right now?
• Are you a big kid embracing your inner child?  Rebecca Kofron presents her very own coloring book.
• Just in time for the movie, Alessandra at Out of the Blue reviews The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. “Beautifully written, this book is about love and hate, light and darkness, good and evil.”
• Stacy at Book Thirty also has always wanted to read The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo “simply because of how it’s packaged – the title font, the cover illustration, the French-inspired title, and the choppy, uneven cut of the paper edges. The little Newbery Medal seal doesn’t hurt it’s curb appeal, either.”
• NathanKP at Inkweaver Review presents Lost and Found by Andrew Clements which “teaches important lessons about honesty and friendship. It also offers an surprising view of what it is like to be a twin.”
• TZT at Children’s Books: What, When & How to Read Them presents How to Read a Book without Words (Out Loud).  “It’s not as easy as it looks to read a wordless picture book out loud to your kids and get the most out of the book. Here are a few tips on how to get kids involved in the story.”
• Ruth at Bookish Ruth presents Hillary Rodham Clinton Dreams: Taking Flight by Kathleen Krull “Beautiful watercolor art and inspiring quotations accompany Krull’s writing.”
• Sarah at SmallWorld Reads reviews The Echo Maker by Richard Power.  “I read with a thirst for shared experience and illumination, and for that, the novel was satisfying.”

Short Stories

• S. Krishna at at S. Krishna’s Books presents In the Convent of Little Flowers by Indu Sundaresan.  “A beautiful and moving set of short stories that I think anyone would enjoy.”
• Tracy at Bookroomreviews’s reviews presents Say You’re One of Them by Uwem Akpan saying, “This was the most powerful book I read in 2008 and also my favorite book of 2008.”  I’ve read part of this book and found it interesting as well. But don’t take my word for it, go visit Tracy.

Poetry

• Jeanne at Necromancy Never Pays presents Postscript by Seamus Heaney saying, “During the holiday season, it’s easy for people (especially parents, I think) to get so busy they close themselves off from opportunities to have their hearts blown open.”

Biography/Memoir

• Kathy at Bermudaonion’s Weblog reviews When Wanderers Cease to Roam by Vivian Swift, which she says she adored.  She also says “the best thing about this book, though, is the fact that it reminds us to take delight in and be thankful for the small, everyday things in life – things like a bird’s feather, an animal’s tracks in the snow, or a shady spot in the summer. “
• Florinda at The 3 R’s: Reading, ‘Riting, and Randomness reviews But Enough About Me: How a Small-Town Girl Went From Shag Carpet to the Red Carpet by Jancee Dunn. Of the book she says, “This isn’t the best book I read this year – it’s not even FROM this year – but it was one of my most enjoyable reading experiences, and a great new author discovery for me.”  Who can resist that?
• Ali at Worducopia reviews My Father’s Paradise by Ariel Sabar.  She was hesitant to read this one at first but said “I opened the book and began to read, and immediately wondered what I’d been stalling for”
• Chris at Stuff as Dreams are Made on reviews Dream Homes by Joyce Zonana.  He says “This is one of my favorite memoirs that I read this year and I hope others can enjoy it as well!” If that’s not convincing enough,  “The book is magnificent and perfectly written with sweeping prose and intimate details that somehow relate to anyone who’s ever sought to find themselves, experienced pain or prejudice, experienced the love of one’s family, the frustration with one’s family, the growth of independence, and a passion for life.”
• Woman Tribune reviewed Remember Who You Are by Linda Carroll which “immediately caught my attention with the dedication and ultimately was the reason why I was so interested in reading her book. The dedication includes Carroll’s daughter’s names including Courtney Love and her granddaughter’s names including Frances Cobain.”

Finance

• The Smarter Wallet presents Women and Money By Suze Orman.  “Women continue to be woefully uninformed and remain hands-off when it comes to their own finances . . . [it] provides easy to follow instructions for taking control of one’s financial destiny.”
• Jim at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity reviews Towers of Gold:  How One Jewish Immigrant Named Isaias Hellman Created California by Frances Dinkelspiel.”It’s not your typical personal finance book filled with advice and tips on how to invest, it’s just a story about one man’s successes in an otherwise difficult time and place.”
• Jim at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity also says Bull Moves in Bear Markets by Peter Schiff is a very pessimistic boo however, “rather than just repeat doom and gloom, Schiff outlines multiple ways to take advantage and build wealth in what seems like a wealth-destroying environment.”

• Silicon Valley Blogger at The Digerati Life presents Have No Estate Plan? Try This Guide to Wills and Trusts in which he reviews A Parent’s Guide to Wills and Trusts by Don Silver.  He says, ” It’s written without technical or industry jargon, and provides the details needed to make sense of Wills and Trusts.”  And let’s make sure that you don’t leave it all to your family pet.

• Sam at Surfer Sam and Friends presents The Four Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss “is for people who were not born rich, people who want more free time and want to live like a millionaire.”  Scared to try it?  As Yoda says, “Named must your fear be before banish it you can.”

Non-fiction

• Veronica at Viva La Feminista presents Katie Brown Celebrates. Like to entertain?  “This is a perfect book to give that someone special in your life who isn’t a Martha, but does like to entertain. Maybe that’s you!”
• Julena at Organic Makeup and Skin Care presents Complete Idiot’s Guide to Better Skin – Beware the Natural Products!.  She says “A review of a book on skin care which I certainly don’t recommend, for it doesn’t possess the basic common sense or logic in its own arguments.” I personally liked this line: “Honestly, I think the Complete Idiot’s Guide has finally lived up to its brand name.”
• Peter Jones at Indigenous Peoples Issues and Resources reviews Reinventing the Lacandon: Subaltern Representations in the Rain Forest of Chiapas by Brian Gollnick as in depth look at the “rigorous work of successfully deconstructing the various representations and images the indigenous peoples of Chiapas and the Lacandon rain forest have embodied.”
• Need help studying for the IELTS?  Simone at IELTS Book Reviews reviews Barron’s IELTS (International English Langauge Translation (with Audio CD).  “The book helps you to get familiar with the test structure and teaches you how to approach IELTS tasks.”
• Madeleine Begun Kane at Mad Kane’s Political Madness reviews Dumbocray by Marty Beckerman which is a perfect gift for the political junkie in your family.
• Enjoy birdwatching?  Mike Bergin at 10,000 reviews Birding for Everyone: Encouraging People of Color to Become Birdwatchers by John Robinson in which he says “he’s one of the most influential agents of positive change in the future demographic distribution of American nature lovers.”  However, “I read it cover to cover looking for an answer that never came, at least not in the form I anticipated.”  Go visit for his full thoughts.
• Mike Bergin at 10,000 also reviews Audubon: Early Drawings and The Chamberlain Guide to Birding Gauteng.
  
• GrrlScientist at Living the Scientific Life also enjoys birdwatching.  GrrlScientist reviews the Peterson Field Guide to the Birds of North America by Roger Tory Peterson.  “No one has done more to advance and popularize birdwatching than artist and naturalist, Roger Tory Peterson, who published his first field guide to the birds in 1934 at the ripe old age of 26.”
• Grant McCreary at The Birder’s Library presents Birders Conservation Handbook: 100 North American Birds at Risk by Jeffery V. Wells. “Invaluable to conservation groups, and a unique resource for birders, this handbook is a critical contribution in the struggle to protect birds. It is also an eye-opener that every North American birder should have.”
• Manoj Thulasidas at Unreal Blog gathers book reviews of his first book The Unreal Universe He says, “As I’m beginning to work on my second book (Principles of Quantitative Finance, commissioned by Wiley-Finance), I felt that these thoughts on my first book might be of interest to some of you.”
• Peter Jones at Indigenous Peoples Issues and Resources presents Cultural Contact and Linguistic Relativity Among the Indians of Northwestern California by Sean O’Neill.  He says, “One of the most perplexing problems in the field of anthropology over the last hundred years has been the relationship between language and culture. Does language shape culture? Does culture shape language? Further, and perhaps more interesting, does language shape our cognition, effecting the very way that we see the world?”  Visit for a indepth look into a fascinating subject.
• Drew (a bookseller in my area!) at The Bookmark at the U presents I’ve Been Googled. Is That A Bad Thing? in which he says “wow” about What Would Google Do by Jeff Jarvis.  “The scariest chapter for me, was when Jarvis re-imagined the book publishing and selling business.”
• Seriously the perfect post for my husband.  Naren Ghimire at Spiritual Pub presents 10 Books That May Guide You in Your Screenwriting Journey.  “Do you love movies? Are you passionate about writing? Do you have stories in your mind that you would like to share with everyone? For those of you about to begin their screenwriting career or to those who are already on their way to becoming a successful one, this article may prove helpful. It provides 10 books that to help you achieve your screenwriting goals.”
• GrrlScientist at Living the Scientific Life presents The Hungry Scientist Handbook: Electric Birthday Cakes, Edible Origami, and Other DIY Projects for Techies, Tinkerers, and Foodies by Patrick Buckley and Lily Binns “This is an entertaining and informative romp through twenty “kitchen science” projects.”  If you have kids, you’ll want to check this book out.
• Feeling sick after the holidays?  HighGrace at Face to the Sun reviews Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time by Pavel Somo and Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss by Joel Fuhrman.
• Akemi at Yes to Me presents Dr. Brian Weiss’ classic Many Lives, Many Masters: The True Story of a Prominent Psychiatrist, His Young Patient, and the Past-Life Therapy That Changed Both Their Lives.
• Mike at Quest For Four Pillars reviews the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell.  “I highly recommend putting this book on your Christmas (or Hanukkah, or winter’s solstice) list. Its a fun, fast read.”
• Ama Lee at Feminist Review presents Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men by Michael Kimmel. ” . . . Exploring the nuances of male bonding, sports culture, and hazing. It credits feminism for helping men bounce back from their time in a pornified wasteland and offers hope that, as a culture, we can begin turning things around for young men, beginning as early as middle school.
• Myscha Theriault at Wanderlust and Lipstick presents Antarctica: Life on the Ice saying, “This is a non- fiction travel title featuring stories from people who have lived and worked in Antarctica.”
• WordLily reviews a spiritual geography entitled Dakota by Kathleen Norris.  “Well before I was half way through this 220-page work, I decided that everyone I know should read this book.”  As she says, what are you waiting for?
• Amanda CMJ at Yield To Pedestrian: All the Cool, All the Time reviews Thomas Goltz’s Chechnya Diary: A War Correspondent’s Story of Surviving the War in Chechnya. “I can’t say enough about this author and the power of this book. A highly recommended read.
• Callista at SMS Book Reviews explores why we do the things we do and what influences us in Quirkology: The Curious Science of Everyday Lives by Richard Wiseman. “I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to EVERYONE even if you don’t normally read Non-fiction. You will learn a lot about yourself!
• Cat at Quaker Pagan Reflections presents American Quaker War Tax Resistance by David Gross, saying, “In American Quaker War Tax Resistance, David Gross has created, not so much a history of Quaker war tax resistance as a source book for those who seek help discerning their leadings in this area.”
• Beth at Beth Fish Reads reviews House of Mondavi by Julia Flynn Siler.  “If this book were a novel, then the main themes would be fathers vs. sons, brothers vs. brothers, and the subjugation of women.”

Feel free to mention that this edition of the carnival is now posted.  Submit your blog article to the next edition of book review blog carnival at Bloody Kisses on January 4th using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found at the blog carnival index page.  As always, a special thank you to Clark at I’ll Never Forget the Day I Read a Book for organizing the carnival.

P.S. I had this formatted so there was spaces between each bulleted item.  So sad . . .

So how about a little Christmas cheer?!  I promised a $10 Amazon gift certificate to one lucky winner:

Sandy at You’ve GOTTA Read This!

Congrats Sandy! I’m sure you can find yourself a little something for your stocking this year.  Merry Christmas!

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I’m hosting my very first carnival!  The Book Review Blog Carnival will be hosted HERE this coming Sunday!  Have a favorite post from 2008?  A favorite Christmas book perhaps?  Fiction, non-fiction, how-to, memoirs, young adult, middle readers, picture books.  Anything!  This is the time to strut your stuff!  So decide on a post and take a second to send it off to me.

It’s going to be worth your time!  I haven’t decided on the details but there will be some type of random giveaway for both those who submit a book review as well as those who visit the carnival participants.  I want it to be fun and merry just in time for Christmas!  But if I don’t get your reviews I’ll be in a bah humbug mood for the holidays.  And that wouldn’t be very fun would it, especially since it’s my first carnival.   By submitting your post through the Book Review Blog Carnival site, it makes some nice little code for me.  Click on the little orange box in the upper right hand corner at this link to submit your post. So what are you waiting for?  I’d love for those reviews to come pouring in!

I’m waiting . . .

The third edition of the Book Review Blog Carnival was posted this morning by Ruth at Books, Books and More Books.  My interview with David Ebershoff, author of The 19th Wife and my book review of The 19th Wife was featured along with a bunch of other great reviews.  I encourage you to go take a look.  The next edition will be at The Symposium on November 9th.  If you would like to participate, submit your book review here. And guess who’s hosting on December 21st for your holiday edition?  Me!  Stay tuned!

The Carnival of Children’s Literature was posted this morning by Jill at the Well-Read Child. This is my first time participating in this carnival and my (actually your) interview with Shannon Hale was featured along with a lot of other great reviews and happenings.  I highly encourage you to do some blog hopping.  (Still wondering if their is a button for this carnival)

Don’t forget to get involved in The Bookworms Carnival, an awesome themed reviews carnival which is hosted bi-monthly.  The current edition, Literary Gothic Novels, is up at Becky’s Book Reviews and while I didn’t have anything this time around, I encourage you to check it out.  Editions in November:

Edition 17 hosted by: Dewey at The Hidden Side of a Leaf
Deadline for submission: November 14, 2008
Theme: graphic novels
To submit a post, email: dewpie at gmail dot com

Edition 18 hosted by: Bookopolis
Deadline for submission: November 28, 2008
Theme: Memoirs
To submit a post, email: preferred.stock at gmail dot com

Book Club

Don’t forget A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith is October’s fiction book club selection at Rich Women Sisterhood, which I’m excited to be your host and moderator.  This is unlike any book club you’re familiar with because we’ll be discussing the book via a tele-conference call on October 27th at 6:30 MST. That’s TONIGHT!! MONDAY! I’d love to discuss this book with you regardless if you are reading if for the first time or you read it years ago!

If you’re already not a member of Rich Women Sisterhood make sure to register and then register for the book club discussion so I know how many people I have on the call.  Seriously, I’d love to chat!!

Miscellany

• A lot of great reviews and interviews coming up this next week, including Shana Burg, author of A Thousand Never Evers, Donna Gephart, author of As If Being 12 3/4 Isn’t Bad Enough My Mother is Running for President, and a guest post about the effects of breast cancer on a writer with Jennie Nash, author of The Last Beach Bungalow.  Also a book review of The Adventurous Deeds of Deadwood Jones

• On Halloween watch for some great Halloween themed reviews including Witches by Roald Dahl, The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare and The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury.

• Darfur prizes will be mailed out this week via media mail.  Let me know if you don’t receive them in the next couple of weeks.  And shhh . . .  those other prizes that a few of you won but I haven’t mailed yet (you know who you are).  I haven’t forgotten.  I’m bad, bad, bad!!

• Two upcoming posts on my great book sale finds at our Friends of the Library sale and a recap of my hour spent with Richard Peck, Newbery author of A Year Down Yonder and A Long Way from Chicago (links will take you to my reviews) among his prolific writing career.  One of the best hours I’ve spent with an author.  Ever.
• My library and now reading widget in my sidebar is no longer working and I can’t figure it out.  It stopped fetching information from Amazon and then after I upgraded WordPress I can’t figure out where the library page went.  Sigh . . . So just ignore it for now.

Giveaway Deadline

The end is almost here!!

I can’t believe it! Monday, October 13th, at midnight MST is the last day to put your name in the “virtual hat” for all of the AMAZING books you can win if you participated in Reading & Blogging for Darfur.  If you’d like to be considered for the grand prize, it’s not to late to do that either.  Read the final update and sign up here for the giveaways.  I’ll announce the winners here on the blog Wednesday.

Book Club

Don’t forget A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith is October’s fiction book club selection at Rich Women Sisterhood, which I’m excited to be your host and moderator.  This is unlike any book club you’re familiar with because we’ll be discussing the book via a tele-conference call on October 27th at 6:30 MST.  I’d love to discuss this book with you regardless if you are reading if for the first time or you read it years ago!  Find out all the details to participate.

If you’re already not a member of Rich Women Sisterhood make sure to register and then register for the book club discussion so I know how many people I have on the call.  I think it would be so much fun to hear your actual voices, so I hope you consider joining us!

Carnivals

The second edition of the Book Review Blog Carnival was posted this morning at Novel Bloggers.  My review of Tears of the Desert, A Memoir of Survival in Darfur by Halima Bashir with Damien Lewis was featured along with a bunch of other great reviews.  I encourage you to go take a look.  The next edition will be on Books Books and More Books on October 26th.  If you would like to participate, submit your book review here. And guess who’s hosting on December 21st for your holiday edition?  Me!  Stay tuned!

Don’t forget to get involved in The Bookworms Carnival, an awesome themed reviews carnival which is hosted bi-monthly.  Click here for details on submitting your reviews.  Becky at Becky’s Book Reviews is our next host!  I hope to be hosting in the near future!

And if you are involved in children’s literature don’t forget The Carnival of Children’s Literature.  I’m participating for the first time in the upcoming carnival hosted by Jill at the Well-Read Child.  Submit your posts here.  Is there a button for this carnival?

I hope everybody’s week is grand!  My parents are now in town from out of state for a week and my in-laws are flying in on a layover tomorrow for breakfast.  I’m currently reading The 19th Wife, which I’m frantically trying to finish for Wednesday’s blog tour.  Tomorrow and Tuesday watch for a review of Janeology with a guest post by the author Karen Harrington.  And after six weeks, don’t even ask how’s potty training is going.

See ya!