I am a certified bookaholic and am embracing my addiction. Here you will find my short book reviews and other wonderful information all about books. I will also share my love for animals and show you some of my knitting projects.
Please post the books you read in March for the challenge in Mr. Linky, below:
*Note: if you missed posting your links last month, please always post "late" links in the current month's Mr. Linky. For example, if you forgot to post a link in February, please post it on this Mr. Linky in this post.
Please enter your name and the name of the book in this format: Name: (Your Name, Book Title and Author's Name) for example: (Teddy, Obsessive Reading by Helen Reader).
Honorable Mentions: Read 1-3 books won: LuAnn-2 Jessica- 1 Tea-1 Please post the books you read in March for the challenge in Mr. Linky, below:
*Note: if you missed posting your links last month, please always post "late" links in the current month's Mr. Linky. For example, if you forgot to post a link in February, please post it on this Mr. Linky in this post.
Please enter your name and the name of the book in this format: Name: (Your Name, Book Title and Author's Name) for example: (Teddy, Obsessive Reading by Helen Reader).
I am a big fan of Neal Barnard. He gives great nutritional advise to those who want to move toward a plant based diet and has great weight loss tips for those who need to lose weight.
This is my most coveted book of 2011 and now I have it! A couple weeks ago, I received a hand written note via snail mail from Michele herself! I was quite blown away. What a treat; who gets a real hand written, snail mail letter anymore? The stationary was beautiful to boot! Now I have the book to go along with it.
Zora Neale Hurston has been an author that I have wanted to read for the longest time but just never got around to, until now.
About Zora Neale Hurston:
Zora Neale Hurston was an American folklorist and author. In 1925, shortly before entering Barnard College, Hurston became one of the leaders of the literary renaissance happening in Harlem, producing the short-lived literary magazine Fire!! along with Langston Hughes and Wallace Thurman. This literary movement became the center of the Harlem Renaissance.
Hurston applied her Barnard ethnographic training to document African American folklore in her critically acclaimed book Mules and Men along with fiction Their Eyes Were Watching God and dance, assembling a folk-based performance group that recreated her Southern tableau, with one performance on Broadway.
Hurston was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship to travel to Haiti and conduct research on conjure in 1937. Her work was significant because she was able to break into the secret societies and expose their use of drugs to create the Vodun trance, also a subject of study for fellow dancer/anthropologist Katherine Dunham who was then at the University of Chicago.
In 1954 Hurston was unable to sell her fiction but was assigned by the Pittsburgh Courier to cover the small-town murder trial of Ruby McCollum, the prosperous black wife of the local lottery racketeer, who had killed a racist white doctor.
Hurston also contributed to Woman in the Suwanee County Jail, a book by journalist and civil rights advocate William Bradford Huie. (Courtesy of GoodReads.)
Your can see from her fascinating bio, why I would want to read her works. Sweat did not disappoint.
Delia Jones did laundry for the white folks who lived across town. Every Saturday she hitched up her horse and wagon to deliver freshly washed laundry and picked up a new batch to be washed. On Sunday, after church, she would get a head start with the weeks worth of work by sorting and soaking the whites. She did the laundry because her deadbeat husband, Sykes spent all of the money he earned on himself and other women. He didn't give her any toward household expenses. Delia very proud of the fact that she was able to buy the house they lived in but Sykes did not make life easy. He hated the fact that she worked for white folks and some time undermined her work.
"He stepped roughly upon the whitest pile of things, kicking them helter-skelter as he crossed the room. His wife gave a little scream of dismay, and quickly gathered them together again."
One day Delia came home from delivering laundry, looking forward to some quiet time. Sikes was standing near the door with a box and told her to look inside. It contained a rattle snake and she screamed. Sykes insisted on keeping the reptile just to freak her out.One night..
"She lay awake, gazing upon the debris that cluttered their matrimonial trail. Not an image left standing along the way. Anything like flowers had long ago been drowned in the salty stream that had been pressed from her heart"
Things escalated from there and you can guess that the snake was not only highly symbolic in the story but pivitol as well.This story about domestic abuse and survival really packs a punch. The writing was strong and poetic, although it took me a bit to of effort to read the dialogue. For example,
"Dat niggah wouldn't fetch nothin' heah tuh save his rotten neck, but he kin run thew whut Ah brings quick enough. Now he done toted off nigh on tuh haff uh box uh matches. He done had dat 'oman heah in mah house, too."
Hurston paved the way for other strong female and African American authors. She didn't hide behind social issues but brought them to the forefront. I look forward to reading more by Zora Neale Hurston. You can read Sweat, here along with another story and some really interesting commentary.
Thanks to Brianne Beers of Hachette Book Group, I am giving away up to 3 copies of this book.
Book Description:
In the south of Scotland, residents get their chimneys vacuum-cleaned. But in the isolated villages in the very north of Scotland, the villagers rely on the services of the itinerant sweep, Pete Ray, and his old-fashioned brushes. Pete is always able to find work in the Scottish highlands, until one day when Police Constable Hamish Macbeth notices blood dripping onto the floor of a villager's fireplace, and a dead body stuffed inside the chimney. The entire town of Lochdubh is certain Pete is the culprit, but Hamish doesn't believe that the affable chimney sweep is capable of committing murder. Then Pete's body is found on the Scottish moors, and the mystery deepens. Once again, it's up to Hamish to discover who's responsible for the dirty deed--and this time, the murderer may be closer than he realizes.
The number of entrants to this giveaway will determine how many copies of this book I will giveaway:
1-10 entrants= 1
11-20 entrants= 2
21 or more entrants = 3
To Enter:
Leave a comment with your email address, so I can contact you if you win.
Extra Entries: (please leave a separate comment for each, for instance you you are a follower, leave 3 comments that you are a follower).
+3 "Like" the post about this giveaway on Facebook
+3 Be my friend on Goodreads (Teddy). +3 for Joining my Books Won Reading Challenge (be sure to follow the rules and then let me know you joined here.)
+1 for each comment on a book review I have done. (Be sure to tell me which ones).
+1 for clicking to give free food at The Animal Rescue Site (tell me you did it).( Up to 1 time per day)
+1 for clicking to give free books at The Literacy Site (tell me you did it). ( Up to 1 time per day)
That's 21 or more possible entries!
Sorry, the giveaway is only open US and Canadian residents only. The winner’s mailing address: NO P.O.Boxes. Only one entry per household/IP address
Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the book.
This giveaway will end on Sunday, March 13th, 11:59 P.M. E.S.T. The winners will be notified by email. Winners must respond within TWO days or will be disqualified.
Yesterday I reviewed The Arrow Chest by Robert Parry, an amazing novel that takes place in 1876 Victorian England. Today, I am excited to announce that thanks to Robert Parry, himself I am giving away one copy of this extraordinary book! I am happy to announce that this giveawayincludes all of my readers in the UK, Europe, Canada, and the United States.
Book Description:
London, 1876. The painter Amos Roselli is in love with his life-long friend and model, the beautiful Daphne - and she with him - until one day she is discovered by another man, a powerful and wealthy industrialist. What will happen when Daphne realises she has sacrificed her happiness to a loveless marriage? What will happen when the artist realises he has lost his most cherished source of inspiration? And how will they negotiate the ever-increasing frequency of strange and bizarre events that seem to be driving them inexorably towards self-destruction. Here, amid the extravagant Neo-Gothic culture of Victorian England, the iconic poem ‘The Lady of Shalott’ blends with mysterious and ghostly glimpses of Tudor history. Romantic, atmospheric and deeply dark.
The Trailer:
About Robert Parry:
Robert Parry is an independent UK writer of historical fiction with special interests in Tudor and Elizabethan history, Victorian Gothic and Pre-Raphaelite art.
His debut novel, 'VIRGIN AND THE CRAB' first appeared in 2009, and his 2nd novel 'THE ARROW CHEST' was published in January 2011. Both are available in Paperback and on Kindle.
Please note: There is a special requirement for this giveaway, read the requirements on how to enter carefully or you may be disqualified.
To Enter:
Manditory: If you win, you must agree to review this book within 3 months of receiving it.
Please leave a comment that if you win, you agree to review this book within 3 months of receiving it, along with your email address. You don't have to have a blog to win this book. You can post your review on a site like GoodReads, Amazon, Library Thing, etc.
Extra entries:
Extra Entries: (please leave a separate comment for each, for instance you you are a follower, leave 3 comments that you are a follower).
+3 "Like" the post about this giveaway on Facebook
+3 Be my friend on Goodreads (Teddy). +3 for Joining my Books Won Reading Challenge (be sure to follow the rules and then let me know you joined here.)
+1 for each comment on a book review I have done. (Be sure to tell me which ones).
+1 for clicking to give free food at The Animal Rescue Site (tell me you did it).( Up to 1 time per day)
+1 for clicking to give free books at The Literacy Site (tell me you did it). ( Up to 1 time per day)
That's 21 or more possible entries! But wait, there's more:
+3 Be a fan of The Arrow Chest on Facebook. +3 "Like" The Arrow Chest on Facebook. +3 Follow Robert Parry on Twitter (@TweetsByWriter)
No P.O. Boxes, please.
Again, this giveaway is for those in the UK, Europe, Canada, and the United States.
This giveaway will end on Friday, March 4th, 11:59 P.M. E.S.T. The winner will be notified by email. Winner must respond within TWO days or will be disqualified.
Please note, there will be more giveaways of The Arrow Chest during the tour. S Go check out the rest of the tour and find the giveaways.
In London, 1876, the bones of three females were discovered under the chapel in the Tower of London. They were said to be the remains of two of Henry VIII's wives, Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard and those of Lady Jane Grey. The painter, Amos Roselli was summoned there to do sketches of the remains.
Amos didn't want to be left in the tower alone and asked for someone to be there with him. In a short while, a yeoman warder, came in and they had a friendly chat. When Amos finished the sketches, the warder was gone and the man who gave him the commission showed up with his wife. He knew nothing about the yeoman warder. When Amos made inquiries about the warder he was told the man had been dead for many year. This started the strange sightings and creepy feeling which plagued Amos throughout the novel.
Amos recently hired a new maid, Beth for his humble home. He didn't pay her much as he was a struggling artist. However, Beth took to her work and master and did the best she could.
Things were looking starting to look up for Amos. Amos's inspiration/muse and childhood friend, Daphne had married a very wealthy man, Oliver Ramsey, one year ago and Amos had just been commissioned to do a portrait of Oliver. Amos knew that if Ramsey liked the portrait he would most likely gain more commissions.
Amos was happy that he was finally going to see Daphne again and once he arrived, their friendship continued like it was never interrupted. Daphne confides in Amos that her marriage wasn't what she expected and the Oliver was very disappointed that she hadn't produced an heir yet. Poor Daphne was stuck in a loveless marriage and it soon became apparent that Ramsey had his sights on another woman. He wanted to get rid of Daphne one way or another.
Robert parry's poetic prose painted a haunting portrait of Victorian England and his characters. He deftly weaved the story in with the story of Anne Boleyn . It felt very authentic. The characters were so well developed that I felt as if I was transported to Victorian England every time I picked up the book. I felt like I was one of the characters. There were a couple slow places in the book but those were minimal and then the book picked up again. I loved The Arrow Chest and did not want it to end.
4.5/5
View the Trailer:
Thanks to Robert Parry for this book.Please note, this review is part of a book tour that I organized myself for Robert Parry through my new virtual book tour company,Premier Virtual Author Book Tours. This did not influence my review of this book.I always give my true and honest opinions and feelings of every book I review.
Please note, there will be giveaways of The Arrow Chest during the tour. Stay tuned tomorrow for my giveaway. Go check out the rest of the tour and find the giveaways. There is one already in progress.
Mr. Woodifield is retire now because of the stroke he had however, he visits the office and his boss weekly. On this visit he reminded his boss about the loss of his son.
Mr. Woodfield left but his boss was quite upset over the reminder of his dear son. He tells his clerk that he is not to be disturbed for a half hour. At first he just sits with a blank stare, thinking about his son. His son has been dead for six years and he has not been able to cry and wonders whats wrong with him.
When he reaches for the photograph of his son he notices that there is a fly in his ink pot. He rescues the fly and shakes him off on a peice of blotter paper. The fly gets busy cleaning himself off and the boss pictures him rejoicing for being saved. However, then he toys around with the fly in a most disturbing way.
This very short story of about 7 pages really pack a punch. It is one of mourning loss and the transference of emotions and power on to the defenseless. Highly recommended. You can read it here.
Did you review this story? Leave a link in the comments and I will post it here. If you would like to participate in Short Story Mondays, go to John of The Book Mine Set. He has a short story review every Monday and a place for you to link your short story review. Come join in the fun!
Last year, Nan of Letters From a Hill Farm reviewed The Basement Room by Graham Greene. Her convinced me that I had to read it for myself.
Philip's parents are leaving him for two weeks, in the care of Mr. and Mrs. Baines, the butler housekeeper. His most recent nurse left and they haven't had time to fill her place. Philip is 7 years old and likes to go to the basement where the Baines live. He considers Mr' Baines a friend and likes to hanout with him down there.
Mrs. Baines is left upstairs to do all the housework while Mr. Baines relaxes. He doesn't lift a finger to help well the master is away. Mr. Baines tells Philip all kinds of tales from his life, including the time he lived in Africa.
One day Mrs. Baines was gone for the day, so Mr Baines and his lover took Philip out for the day. After a long day, Philip was escorted up to bed and tucked in by both Baines and his lover. Mrs. Baines arrived home and went directly to Philips rooms. She asked him where Baines and the woman were but Philip, gripped with fear couldn't answer.
"The night light stood beside the mirror and Mrs. Baines could see there her own reflection, misery and cruelty wavering in the glass, age and dust and nothing to hope for."
Mrs. Baines left Philip's room and started down the stair to look for the two lovers.
"Philip could move, he raised his knees, he sat up in bed; he wanted to die. It wasn't fair; the walls were down again between his world and theirs, but this time it was something worse than merriment that the grown people made him share. A passion moved the house he recognized but could not understand."
By the end or the story, poor Philip is affected by the events that happened for life.
This was a well written story with good character development. I got sucked in right away and cared what happened to Philip. Greene captures the heart, mind, fears, and emotions of a little boy with poetic prose. I highly recommend this story and you can read it here.
Did you review this story? Please leave the link in the comments and I will link it here.
If you would like to participate in Short Story Mondays, go to John of The Book Mine Set. He has a short story review every Monday and a place for you to link your short story review. Come join in the fun!
I received this book from St. Martin's Press. I hadn't requested it by the author, C.W. Gortner had them send it to me since I enjoyed 2 of his previous books,The Last Queenand .The Confessions of Catherine de Medici.
I don't normally care for mysteries but have read some really good reviews so I think I will try it when I get the chance.
+3 "Like" the post about this giveaway on Facebook
+3 Be my friend on Goodreads (Teddy). +3 for Joining my Books Won Reading Challenge (be sure to follow the rules and then let me know you joined here.)
+1 for each comment on a book review I have done. (Be sure to tell me which ones).
+1 for clicking to give free food at The Animal Rescue Site (tell me you did it).( Up to 1 time per day)
+1 for clicking to give free books at The Literacy Site (tell me you did it). ( Up to 1 time per day)
That's 21 or more possible entries!
Sorry, the giveaway is only open US and Canadian residents only. The winner’s mailing address: NO P.O.Boxes. Only one entry per household/IP address
Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the book.
This giveaway will end on Friday, February 25th, 11:59 P.M. E.S.T. The winners will be notified by email. Winners must respond within TWO days or will be disqualified.
Thanks to Anna Balasi of Hachette Book Group, I am giving away 2 copies of this book.
I have seen Dr. Neal Barnard speak and have a couple of his books. IMO, he has a no nonsense approach to both a healthy lifestyle and weight loss. So, I jumped at the chance to host this giveaway.
Book Description:
For years, Dr. Neal D. Barnard has been at the forefront of cutting-edge research on what it really takes to lose weight and restore the body to optimal health. Now, with his proven, successful program, in just three short weeks you'll get fast results-drop pounds, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, improve blood sugar, and more. With Dr. Barnard's advice on how to easily start a plant-based diet, you'll learn the secrets to reprogramming your body quickly:
Appetite reduction: Strategically choose the right foods to naturally and easily tame your appetite.
Metabolism boost: Adjust eating patterns to burn calories faster for about three hours after each meal.
Cardio protection: Discover the powerful foods that can help reduce cholesterol nearly as much as drugs do in just weeks.
Whether you are one of the millions who are anxious to get a jumpstart on weight loss or who already know about the benefits of a plant-based diet but have no idea how or where to start, this book is the kickstart you've been waiting for. Complete with more than sixty recipes, daily meal plans for the 21-day program, tips for grocery shopping, and more, this book will teach you how to make the best food choices and get your body on the fast track to better health.
To Enter:
Leave a comment with your email address, so I can contact you if you win.
Extra Entries: (please leave a separate comment for each, for instance you you are a follower, leave 3 comments that you are a follower).
+3 "Like" the post about this giveaway on Facebook
+3 Be my friend on Goodreads (Teddy).
+3 for Joining my Books Won Reading Challenge (be sure to follow the rules and then let me know you joined here.)
+1 for each comment on a book review I have done. (Be sure to tell me which ones).
+1 for clicking to give free food at The Animal Rescue Site (tell me you did it).( Up to 1 time per day)
+1 for clicking to give free books at The Literacy Site (tell me you did it). ( Up to 1 time per day)
That's 21 or more possible entries!
Sorry, the giveaway is only open US and Canadian residents only. The winner’s mailing address: NO P.O.Boxes. Only one entry per household/IP address
Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the book.
This giveaway will end on Friday, February 25th,11:59 P.M. E.S.T. The winners will be notified by email. Winners must respond within TWO days or will be disqualified.
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