Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips by Mignon Fogarty


Grammar Can Be Fun, Who Knew?

This excellent book makes a wonderful reference book and is also fun to read cover to cover.

Do you ever wonder which you should use, E.G. or I.E.? I always thought they could be used interchangeably. Actually they can't. I.E. stands for "that is" or "in other words" while E.G. means "for example".

If you have any grammar questions but are afraid to ask, most likely you can find it in Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips. You can also look for tips on Mignon's website and she even has an open invitation for people to email her with questions.

I checked this book out from the library but I am going to purchase a copy to have on hand. This book is indispensable!

5/5

Also reviewed by:

Posted by Teddy Rose at 3:47 PM 8 comments  

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Tuesday, December 30, 2008

This Week's Giveaways Galore

As usual, be sure to check back at this post throught the week for links to more book giveaways!

I have a still have a book giveaway in progress for 3 books:

I have 3 different Brad Meltzer audiobooks up for grabs. The giveaway ends on January 4, 2009. Enter here.

New offerings:

Sarah of PussReboots is giving away one copy of The Exchange by Inga C Ellzey. This giveaway ends on January 29, 2009. Enter here.

Alyce of At Home With Books is having a Eon: Dragoneye Reborn Giveaway. It's an entire price package which includes: Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman, Paper Towns by John Green, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, An Eon: Dragoneye Reborn poster, and An Eon: Dragoneye Reborn pin. This giveaway ends on January 12, 2009. Enter here.

Kaye of J. Kaye's Book Blog is giving away one copy of ARIEL’S JOURNEY by Doug Kane and Christy Wood. This giveaway ends on January9, 2009. Enter here. Kaye is also giving away one copy of REQUIEM FOR THE AUTHOR OF FRANKENSTEIN by Molly Dwyer. This giveaway ends on January 9, 2009. Enter here.

Serena of Savvy Verse and Wit is giving away 6 copies of Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips. One of the copies is open for international entries. The giveaway ends on January 5, 2009. Enter here.

Margaret of Literary Menagerie is giving away one copy of The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. This giveaway ends on January 31, 2009. Enter here.

Anna of Diary of an Eccentric is giving away 5 copies of GODS BEHAVING BADLY by Marie Phillips. This giveaway ends on January 9th. Enter here.

Bobbie of Book Reviews By Bobbie is giving away one copy of The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory. This giveaway ends on January 16th. Enter here.

Debbie of Debbie's World is givingaway one copy of The Book Thief by Mark Zusak. This giveaway ends on January 15th. Enter here.

Below are giveaways that I announced in previous weeks. There is still time to enter:

Becky of My Thoughts...Your Thoughts? is giving away one copy of The Missing by Tim Gautreaux. This giveaway ends on Friday January 2nd. Enter here.

Sarah of PussReboots is giving away one copy of Brother by James Fredericks. This giveaway ends on January 7th. Enter here. She is also giving away one copy of Written on the Knee by Theodore Electris. This giveaway ends on January 18th. Enter here.

Kaye of J. Kaye's Book Blog is giving away two copies of COOL JEWELS: BEADING PROJECTS FOR TEENS by Naomi Fujimoto. The giveaway ends on Jasnuary 3rd. Enter here. Another book J. Kaye is giving away is LIKE GLASS by Matthew Cory. This giveaway ends on January 3rd. Enter here. She also has a copy ofBOOTS AND PIECES by Emily Ecton. This giveaway ends on January 3rd. Enter here. J. Kaye is also doing a movie giveaway for FLASHBACKS OF A FOOL. This giveaway ends on January 3rd. Enter here.

Anna of Diary of an Eccentric is giving away one copy of WITHOUT A BACKWARD GLANCE by Kate Veitch. The giveaway ends on Sunday January 4th. Enter here.

Alyce of At Home With Books is giving away the following books: Dark Pursuit by Brandilyn Collins, Queen of Oblivion book 3 of The Heartstone Trilogy by Giles Carwyn & Todd Fahnestock, Where am I Wearing by Kelsey Timmerman, and Dating da Vinci by Malena Lott. This giveaway ends on January 11th. Enter here.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:49 PM 6 comments  

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2008 Challenge Wrap-up

Here is a re-cap of all the challenges I paticipated in for 2008:

Complete Challenges:
1. 2 New 2 You Challenge
2. The Canadian Book Challenge
3. Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
4. Elizabeth Gaskell Mini-Challenge 08
5. ARC Reading Challenge
6. 342,745 Ways To Herd Cats Challenge
7. I Heard It Through the Grapevine Challenge
8. A Well-Rounded Challenge
9. 2008 TBR Challenge
11. 2008 Mini Challenge

Challenges Still in Progress:
1. What An Animal Challenge (read 3/6 so far)
2. The 2nd Canadian Book Challenge (read4/13 so far)
3. Book Awards II Reading Challenge (read 6/10 so far)

Challenges I DNF:
1. On the Porch Swing (read 3/5)
2. The New Classics Challenge (read 2/6)
3. Presidential Reading Challenge (read 0/1)

Posted by Teddy Rose at 8:55 PM 6 comments  

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2008 Mini Challenge Wrap-up

Thanks to Wendy at CaribousMom for hosting this challenge!

These were the 12 challenges and what I did for them:

1. Read a short story - review it. I read and reviewed Politically Correct Bedtime Stories by James Finn Garner

2. Read a children's book - review it. I read and reviewed Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

3. Read a poem - tell us about it. I read Woods on a SnowyEvening by Robert Frost

4. Read a banned book - review it. I read Sula by Toni Morrison

5. Give a book away (you may donate to charity, give a book to a friend, leave a book "in the wild" to be found by another reader...as long as you do not sell it!) - post why you chose the book you did and where it went. I gave away The Horseman's Graves by Jacqueline Baker

6. Read two (2) articles from any one magazine - tell us about them. The two articles were Obama's Mother & Heston

7. Read a classic (for this challenge a classic is defined as a piece of literature which has stood the test of time, has literary merit, is widely read, and was published prior to 1970) - review it. I read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

8. Go to a book event and then tell the group about your experience (book events may be library events, author readings, seminars/lectures pertaining to books or reading, etc...). I attended An Hour With Miriam Toews

9. Read an essay - tell us about it. I read an Animal Rights Essay

10. Read something inspirational - tell the group why it inspired you. The American Journey of Barack Obama

11. Read a book written by a "new-to-you" author - review it. I read Barnacle Love by Anthony De Sa

12. Participate in a group or buddy read and discussion (this can be either a face to face book club, an on line group, or a blog/buddy read). Tell the group what you read and with whom; give us a review. I participated in a group read and discussion of Hawaii by James A. Michener

Posted by Teddy Rose at 7:37 PM 3 comments  

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Monday, December 29, 2008

Mail Box Mondays




I know many of you have been participating in this event for a long time. Resistance is futile, so I am going to play along. LOL!



Thanks to Marcia at The Printed Page for hosting this weekly event. I can't promise that I will participate weekly but I will try to keep my new book arrivals up-to -date.

This is what I received in my mailbox during the last week:











































I won this from a giveaway that Holly from Wonders and Marvals had. Thanks Holly!

Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:26 PM 7 comments  

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Animal Rights Essay



When I was in junior high school I was asked to research and write an essay with the topic of my choice. I chose to write about harp seal hunting.

I am sad to see that this barbaric practice has not changed much over the years. The baby seals are killed by being hit in the head, so that there is no damage to their fur.

Why do I write about this now, you may ask. For the 2008 Mini Challenge, one of the challenges was to read an essay. I decided to Google the word essays for fun and an animal rights essay came up. The writer's name was Ashley, but no last name was given.

I am guessing that Ashley was about my age when I wrote about the plight of the harp seal, but I cannot be sure. Ashley chose to takle many animal rights issues in her essay. She made some very good and valid points however, I think it would have been better for her to focus on one issue. There is so much that she left out because her topic was too broad for one essay.

I have no idea what has become of the essay that I wrote so many years ago. However, if you would like to read Ashley's animal rights essay, go here.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 6:47 PM 4 comments  

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2008 TBR Challenge Wrap-up



Thanks again to Mizbooks for hosting this challenge!

I fell short of finishing this challenge and I was bound and determined to complete it this year. YIPPEE, I DID IT WITH A FEW DAYS TO SPARE!

Here are the books that I read and links to my reviews:

Posted by Teddy Rose at 6:17 PM 10 comments  

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Sunday, December 28, 2008

Love and Honour and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice by Nam Le


A Short Story

This short story comes from Nam Le's book of short stories titled "The Boat."This story is based loosely on Nam Le's life. His young life, as he is not quite 30 years old.

Nam's family are immigrants from Vietnam. They live in Melbourne Australia, but Nam leaves his job as a lawyer and moves to Iowa to attend a writer's school. His father, who lives in Sydney Australia has come to visit him. Why, Nam is not sure. Nam has a deadline breathing down his back to write a story and a case of writers block. This is one of the worst possible times his father could have chosen to visit.

Nam's father was very strict when he was growing up. He was expected to study 10 hours per day, even during summer break. No girlfriends were allowed, period. He has not told his father about his American girlfriend and doesn't plan too. However, his girlfriend doesn't seem too concerned about this.

This is a complex story with several themes running through it. There's the immigrant / ethnic experience, Vietnam war/US atrocities, and love relationships. The central theme in the story is that of the father / son relationship.

With all of these complex issues, I wasn't convinced that Le would be able to pull this off as a short story. I was pleasantly surprised to see how successful he was. His swift prose runs seamlessly through this story. Could he make it into a novella or novel? In my opinion, yes. However, this is Nam Le's first book. I would love to see him write a novel in the future, but this will do quite nicely for now! Even better, I have the rest of this book of short stories to read yet.

4.5/5

If you are interested in reading Love and Honour and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice by Nam Le, You can read it in its entirety here.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:24 PM 7 comments  

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On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan


Fell Flat

It is 1962. The story opens with Edward and Florence just married and in their honeymoon sweet eating dinner. They are both nervous, as can be expected of two virgins. Florence is actually petrified. "Where he merely suffered conventional first-night nerves, she experienced a visceral dread, a helpless disgust as palpable as seasickness."

Edward had denied himself any "self-pleasure" for a week so that he wouldn't fail to perform on that all important night. However, once the event starts, it doesn't go well.

That pretty much sums up the story, of course I left out spoilers, which I figured out from the first few pages. The plot is very little and there is not a whole lot to the story. I'm not one to complain that something didn't "blow up". I don't need heart pounding action but I wish something more would have happened. The story was just too flat and one dimensional for me.
That said, I do like Ian McEwan's writing style. He really knows how to write about and capture emotions. I do have other McEwen books on my to-be-read list and do plan to read them.

3/5

Also reviewed by:


Posted by Teddy Rose at 8:19 PM 19 comments  

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Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Stand By Me

Thanks to Lisa at Books Lists Life for this!

Stand by Me (around the world):


Posted by Teddy Rose at 8:15 PM 16 comments  

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You Are Powerful

Amnesty International is launching "You Are Powerful" to celebrate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights' 60th birthday. Spread the word!


Posted by Teddy Rose at 7:57 PM 2 comments  

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Sunday, December 21, 2008

This Week's Giveaways Galore

As usual, be sure to check back at this post throught the week for links to more book giveaways!

I have a book giveaway in progress for 3 books:

I have 3 different Brad Meltzer audiobooks up for grabs. The giveaway ends on January 4, 2009. Enter here.

New offerings:

Lenore of Presenting Lenore is giving away copies of The Reincarnationist and The Memorist by MJ Rose. The giveaway ends on Saturday, December 27. Enter here.

J. Kaye of J. Kaye's Book Blog is giving away two copies of COOL JEWELS: BEADING PROJECTS FOR TEENS by Naomi Fujimoto. The giveaway ends on Jasnuary 3rd. Enter here. Another book J. Kaye is giving away is LIKE GLASS by Matthew Cory. This giveaway ends on January 3rd. Enter here. She also has a copy ofBOOTS AND PIECES by Emily Ecton. This giveaway ends on January 3rd. Enter here. Yet another book J. Kaye is giving away is CROSSING THE CONTINENT by Robert Goodwin . Hurry, she will be picking a wiiner on December 27. Enter here. J. Kaye is also doing a movie giveaway for FLASHBACKS OF A FOOL. This giveaway ends on January 3rd. Enter here.

Puss Reboots is giving away one copy of Written on the Knee by Theodore Electris. This giveaway ends on January 18th. Enter here.

Sam of Sam's Book Blog is giving away one copy of Matrimony by Joshua Henkin, in honour of her one year blogaversary. Congratulations Sam! Hurry, the giveaway ends on December 29th. Enter here.

Anna of Diary of an Eccentric is giving away one copy of WITHOUT A BACKWARD GLANCE by Kate Veitch. The giveaway ends on Sunday January 4th. Enter here.

Alyce of At Home With Books is giving away the following books: Dark Pursuit by Brandilyn Collins, Queen of Oblivion book 3 of The Heartstone Trilogy by Giles Carwyn & Todd Fahnestock, Where am I Wearing by Kelsey Timmerman, and Dating da Vinci by Malena Lott. This giveaway ends on January 11th. Enter here.

Below are giveaways that I announced in previous weeks. There is still time to enter:

Becky of My Thoughts...Your Thoughts? is giving away one copy of The Missing by Tim Gautreaux. This giveaway ends on Friday January 2nd. Enter here.

Trish at Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin’? Is giving away one copy of The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. The giveaway ends on December29th. Enter here.

Dar at Peeking Between the Pages is giving away one copy of Tomato Girl by Jayne Pupek. The giveaway ends on December 23rd. Enter here.

In the Shadow of Mt. TBR is giving away a $25, $15, $10 and $5 gift card to your choice: Borders, Amazon or Barnes & Noble bookstores. The giveaway ends on December 31st. Enter here.

Tina of Bookshipper is having a giveaway in honour of her 10,000th visitor. She is giving away the book of your choice off either Amazon.com or Chapters.ca sites, up to a $20 U.S. value. The contest ends on December 30th. Enter here.

Sarah of PussReboots is giving away one copy of Brother by James Fredericks. This giveaway ends on January 7th. Enter here.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:53 PM 2 comments  

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Brad Meltzer Audio Book Giveaways

I have three Brad Meltzer audio-books up for grabs thanks to Anna Balasi of Hachette Book Group. I will give them away to 3 seporate winners.

Here are the 3 selections:

Description:
Cain kills Abel in Chapter Four of the Bible. It is the world's most famous murder. But the Bible is silent about one key detail: the weapon Cain used to kill his brother. That weapon is still lost to history.
In 1932, Mitchell Siegel was killed by three gunshots to his chest. While mourning, his son dreamed of a bulletproof man and created the world's greatest hero: Superman. And like Cain's murder weapon, the gun used in this unsolved murder has never been found.
Until now.

Today in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Cal Harper comes face-to-face with his family's greatest secret: his long-lost father, who's been shot with a gun that traces back to Michell Siegel's 1932 murder. But before Cal can ask a single question, he and his father are attacked by a ruthless killer tattooed with the ancient markings of Cain. And so begins the chase for the world's first murder weapon.

What does Cain, history's greatest villain, have to do with Superman, the world's greatest hero? And what do two murders, committed thousands of years apart, have in common? This is the mystery at the heart of Brad Meltzer's riveting and utterly intriguing new thriller.

Description:

A conscientious supreme court clerk. The professionals who share his house. A minor slip-up.

Ben Addison, fresh from Yale Law, is a new clerk for one of the Supreme Court's most respected justices. But when he accidentally reveals the secret outcome of an upcoming decision, a blackmailer makes millions and Ben starts to sweat. Big time. He turns to his co-clerk, Lisa, and his housemates, Nathan, Eric, and Ober, for help. Washington's best and brightest, they offer coveted insider access to the State Department, a major Washington newspaper, and the Senate. But before they know it, their careers-and their lives-are on the line.
Where does loyalty end? Where does greed begin?

And how much can you really trust your friends?


Description:

Prosecution vs. Defense

Husband vs. Wife

Life or Death

In his New York Times runaway bestseller The Tenth Justice, Brad Meltzer asked the insidious question: How much can you really trust your friends? Now he ups the tension, and the ante, in a new legal thriller that poses the most chilling dilemma of all...

Sara Tate, Manhattan district attorney, has grabbed a case that could make her career. She's smart, tough, and sure to get a conviction...until Jared, her husband and a powerful defense attorney, is hired by the other side. But Sara doesn't know Jared has been warned to get his client off or she will be killed. Hiding desperate motives, the couple begins a vicious battle in court and at home. For Sara has a terrible secret too...and both soon face an unthinkable truth: No matter who wins, the other may die.

Here are the rules on how to enter:

1. For one entry, leave a comment. Please be sure to include email address so that I can contact you if you win. Also be sure to let me know if you have a preference for which audiobook you want.

2. For a second entry, post about this giveaway on your blog and leave link to your blog post in the comments. You will also get an entry for each person who tells me that they learned about this giveaway from you.

3. For 5 more entries: Become a Follower of my blog.

4. The deadline to get your entries in is Sunday January 4, 2009 12:00 Midnight E.S.T. Once I notify you that you've won, you will have 3 days to respond. After that, I will need to choose a different winner. Sorry, only for those in Canada and the U.S.A.



Posted by Teddy Rose at 12:26 PM 52 comments  

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Saturday, December 20, 2008

Winner of The Islands of Divine Music by John Addiego

Thanks again to John and Caitlin Hamilton Summie of Unbridled Books for donating a signed copy for for my giveaway!

Thanks to everyone who entered! I wish I had more than one copy to giveaway!

The winner is...


Wanda

Congratulations! Please email me with your shipping information within 3 days to claim your prize.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 12:42 AM 5 comments  

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Thursday, December 18, 2008

A summary of 2009 Challenges

Here is a summary of all the challenges I will be working on in 2009:

Challenges that I am already working on that will be continued in 2009:

Progress:
1. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
3. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
4. Dear John by Norma L. Betz

5. Bee Season by Myla Goldberg

6.


2. The 2nd Canadian Book Challenge
1. The Horseman's Graves by Jacqueline Baker

2. Look for Me by Edeet Ravel

3. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

4. Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje


5. Birth House by Ami Mckay

6. Empress of Asia by Adam Lewis Schroeder

7. Custodian of Paradise by Wayne Johnston

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

3. Book Awards II Reading Challenge- August 1, 2008-June 1, 2009:

Alex Award:

4. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

2004 Original Voices Award:

5. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Perpetual challenges (On-going) (click on each challenge to see my progress):

1. Book Around the World Challenge

2. Book Around the States Challenge

Challenges that start in 2009:

1.The PUB Challenge - 2009

2. New Author Challenge 2009

3. Read Your Own Books Challenge 2009

4. Themed Reading Challenge - 2009

5. 2009 TBR Lite Challenge

6. World Citizen Challenge

7. 20 Books in 2009 Challenge

8. The 2009 ARC Reading Challenge

9.2009 READ & REVIEW CHALLENGE

I know, I know, I said that I was going to cut back! I have, last year I participated in a total of 15 challenges for the entire year. In 2009, I am only in 14. (So far) LOL!








Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:34 PM 10 comments  

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The PUB Challenge - 2009

January 1 - December 31, 2009

Thanks to Michelle who is hosting the 2009 PUB Challenge !

Here are the guidelines:
  1. Read a minimum of 9 books first published in 2009. You don’t have to buy these. Library books, unabridged audios, or ARCs are all acceptable. To qualify as being first published in 2009, it must be the first time that the book is published in your own country. For example, if a book was published in Australia, England, or Canada in 2008, and then published in the USA in 2009, it counts (if you live in the USA). Newly published trade paperbacks and mass market paperbacks do not count if there has been a hardcover/trade published before 2009.
  2. No children’s/YA titles allowed, since we’re at the ‘pub.’
  3. At least 5 titles must be fiction.
  4. Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
  5. You can add your titles as you go, and they may be changed at any time.
My 9 2009 books I will read:

Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:17 PM 2 comments  

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New Author Challenge 2009


January 1 - December 31, 2009


Thanks to Literary Escapism for hosting the New Author Challenge for 2009.


Here are the guidelines:

  1. There is no restriction on choosing your novels. They can definitely be from other challenges.
  2. YOU decide how many new authors you want to try in 2009 and then that’s your challenge.
  3. To join, go to the post about the challenge and add your name to the Mr. Linky.
  4. If you do not have your own blog, you can join the group blog.
  5. Bloggers or Non-Bloggers alike are welcome
  6. When you read a new author, write your review (either at your site or the group blog) and then go back to the post about the challenge and post a link to your review.
I am planning to read at least 20 new authors in 2009.


Posted by Teddy Rose at 8:59 PM 3 comments  

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Read Your Own Books Challenge 2009


January 1 - December 31, 2009


Thanks to Jenn for hosting the 2009 Read Your Own Books Challenge!


The concept is simple - read books that YOU OWN. Here are the rules:

  • Set a goal of how many books you want to read throughout the year.
  • Make a list of books you own which you want to read - the list can change at any time.
  • Books you add to your collection during the year are eligible.
  • eBooks and Audio Books are acceptable.
  • Overlaps with other challenges are fine.
I plan to read 25 books for this challenge.

Here's a partial list:


23.Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran 
24.Sunflowers by Sheramy Bundrick
25.The Walking People by Mary Beth Keane

Posted by Teddy Rose at 8:46 PM 1 comments  

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