BookHounds

Waiting On Wednesday: Letter to My Daughter: A Novel by George Bishop

2010-01-06T06:48:00.000-08:00

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Here is my pick for the week:

Product Details

Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books (February 16, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345515986
ISBN-13: 978-0345515988

Product Description

Dear Elizabeth,
It’s early morning and I’m sitting here wondering where you are, hoping you’re all right.
A fight, ended by a slap, sends Elizabeth out the door of her Baton Rouge home on the eve of her fifteenth birthday. Her mother, Laura, is left to fret and worry—and remember. Wracked with guilt as she awaits Liz’s return, Laura begins a letter to her daughter, hoping to convey “everything I’ve always meant to tell you but never have.”
In her painfully candid confession, Laura shares memories of her own troubled adolescence in rural Louisiana, growing up in an intensely conservative household. She recounts her relationship with a boy she loved despite her parents’ disapproval, the fateful events that led to her being sent away to a strict Catholic boarding school, the personal tragedy brought upon her by the Vietnam War, and, finally, the meaning of the enigmatic tattoo below her right hip.
Absorbing and affirming, George Bishop’s magnificent debut brilliantly captures a sense of time and place with a distinct and inviting voice. Letter to My Daughter is a heartwrenching novel of mothers, daughters, and the lessons we all learn when we come of age.

About the Author
George Bishop holds an MFA from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where he won the department’s Award of Excellence for a collection of stories. He has spent most of the past decade living and teaching overseas in Slovakia, Turkey, Indonesia, Azerbaijan, India, and Japan. He now lives in New Orleans.

I got to sleep in my own bed last night!

2010-01-06T05:49:00.000-08:00

After spending the last 5 weeks on an air mattress in the family room sleeping with Blue (my officially 14 year old Aussie), we have figured out how to get him up and down the stairs. Since his last bout with Geriatic Vestibular Syndrom (GVS = dizzyness) he refuses to go up or down them which I have read is a side effect from the whole thing. My son and I wrapped him in a blanket like a burrito, we each took one end and carried him up the stairs in tandem. I figured we could do this twice a day, once up and once down.

Another part of GVS is that separation anxiety becomes a huge issue and he would bark and howl all night unless I was with him. I started taking him for short walks again yesterday which are helping with the anxiety. Everyone in the house is much happier now that we have a solution for caring for this important family member. I think it works out well for everyone.

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

2010-01-04T19:43:00.000-08:00

I used Random.Org to pick the winners.

Stacie (#2) has won Exit Music by Ian Rankin (an email has been sent)

Angela (#50) has won Fallen by Lauren Kate (received info)

Jackie (#62) has won The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay (an email has been sent)

Connie (#49) has won my copy of The Better Part of Darkness (an email has been sent)

Deb (debsdesk) (#9) has won the puppy calendar -- (received info)

The winners have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be picked!

2010 Book Challenges

2010-01-04T20:32:00.001-08:00

I haven't officially signed up yet, but I will!

2009 Book Challenge -- COMPLETED!

2009-01-01T05:29:00.000-08:00

Title Author Stars

January

1 Sunshine Robin McKinley 4

2 Love Junkie Rachel Resnick 4

3 The Shiksa Syndrome Laurie Graff 4

4 Plum Spooky Janet Evanovich 4

5 Dead is the New Black Marlene Perez 4

6 Trophies Heather Thomas 4

7 Wait Till Your Vampire Gets Home Michelle Bardsley 4

8 Everybody Hurts Leslie Simon 3

9 Beat the Reaper Josh Bazell 5

10 This Land is Their Land Barbara Ehrenreich 4

11 The Help Katherine Sockett 5

12 Knit Two Kate Jacobs 4

13 Fifteen Minutes of Shame Lisa Daily 4

14 Don't Mind Me Esther Cohen 3

15 Swish Joel Derfner 3

16 Succubus Blues Richelle Mead 5

17 High Tea Sandra Harper 3

18 Speed Demon Erin Lynn 4

19 Witch Fire Anya Bast 4

20 Kitty & the Dead Man's Hand Carrie Vaughn 4

21 Bitten to Death Jennifer Rardin 5

22 The White House Mess Christopher Buckley 3

Feburary

23 The Demon King and I Candace Havens 4

24 Choke Chuck Pahalniuk 4

25 Fish Out of Water MaryJanice Davidson 4

26 Far From You Lisa Schroeder 5

27 Witch Blood Anya Bast 4

28 Casting Spells Barbara Bretton 4

29 Weddings From Hell Shayne, et al 4

30 Urban Animals Mireille Silcoff 4

31 The Love of Her Life Harriet Evans 4

32 Eyeliner of the Gods Katie Maxwell 4

33 I'm With Stupid Elaine Szewczyk 4

34 Fool Christopher Moore 3

35 The Urban Hermit Sam MacDonald 4

36 Dog On It Spencer Quinn 6

37 Witch Heart Anya Bast 4

38 A La Carte Hillary Carlip 4

March

39 Fade Lisa McMann 5

40 The Wishing Year Noelle Oxenhandler 3

41 Witch High Denise Little 4

42 Not Quite What I Was Planning Larry Smith 4

43 A History of the Golden Bear Robert Carvounas 3

44 The Smart One Ellen Meister 4

45 Dogtown Bob Summerville 5

46 Handle With Care Jodi Picoult 5

47 Wicked Game Jeri Smith Ready 4

48 Good Man Hunting Lisa Landolt 4

49 Hotel on the Corner of Bitter & Sweet Jamie Ford 5

50 Kin (The Good Neighbors) Holly Black 4

51 Fragile Eternity Melissa Marr 4

52 Orange County Gustavo Arellano 4

53 The Late Lamented Molly Marx Sally Koslow 5

54 The Darwin Awards IV Wendy Norcutt 4

55 Succubus on Top Richelle Mead 4

56 Curse of the Spellmans Lisa Lutz 4

57 Succubus Dreams Richelle Mead 4

April

58 Revenge of The Spellmans Lisa Lutz 5

59 Babylon's Ark Lawrence Anthony 3

60 Fifty is not a Four Letter Word Linda Kelsey 4

61 Red-Headed Stepchild Jaye Wells 5

62 Early Spring Amy Seidel 4

63 Strange Nervous Laughter Bridget McNulty 4

64 Hex Appeal Linda Wisdom 4

65 Why We Suck Denis Leary 3

66 The Sky Isn't Visible From Here Felicia Sullivan 4

67 Confessions of a Prep School Mommy Handler Wade Rouse 4

68 The Sweet By and By Todd Johnson 5

69 Jailbait Zombie Mario Acevedo 5

70 Undone Rachel Caine 4

71 Pretty in Plaid Jen Lancaster 5

72 How to Eat Like a Hot Chick Jodi Lipper 4

73 The Liberation Diet Kevin Brown 4

74 His Other Lover Lucy Dawson 4

May

75 The Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky 4

76 Red Jordan Summers 4

77 The Ex Mrs Hedgefund Jill Kargman 4

78 Swoon Nina Malkin 5

79 You're the One That I Haunt Terri Garey 4

80 One More Bite Jennifer Rardin 4

81 Undress Me In the Temple of Heaven Susan Gilman 4

82 I'm Sorry You Feel That Way Diana Joseph 4

83 How to Ditch Your Fairy Justine Larbalestier 4

84 Pleasure Unbound (Demonica, Book 1) Larissa Ione 4

85 Everyone Is Beautiful: A Novel Katherine Center 4

86 You Are So Undead to Me Stacey Jay 4

87 Physick Book of Deliverance Dane Katherine Howe 5

88 Happens Every Day Isabel Gillies 4

89 In The Kitchen Monica Ali 3

90 Need Carrie Jones 4

91 High Voltage Tattoo Kat Von D 4

92 Eyes Like Stars Lisa Mantchev 5

JUNE

93 Death's Daughter Anmber Benson 4

94 How Shall I Tell the Dog Miles Kington 4

95 A Date You Can't Refuse Harley Jane Kozak 4

96 Jet Set Karasyov & Kargman 4

97 The Girls From Ames Jeffrey Zaslow 4

98 Confessions of a Beauty Addict Nadine Haobsh 3.5

99 Succubus Heat Richelle Mead 4

100 Shanghai Girls Lisa See 5

101 I'm Down Mishna Wolff 4

102 Stormy Weather Geri Buckley 4

103 And Then Everything Unraveled Jennifer Sturman 4

104 Being Nikki Meg Cabot 4

105 Hechinger's Guide to Ethnic Sterotypes Hechinger 3

106 Wicked By Any Other Name Linda Wisdom 4

107 Godmother Carolyn Turgeon 5

108 Year of the Cock Alan Wieder 4

109 The Loved Dog Tamar Geller 4

110 City of Bones Cassandra Clare 5

111 Prom Dates From Hell Rosemary Clement-Moore 3

112 Not Quite What I Was Planning Expanded Larry Smith 4

113 Finger Lickin Fifteen Janet Evanovich 4

114 Pygmy Chuck Pahalniuk 3

115 City of Ashes Cassandra Clare 5

116 Pleasure Unchained Larissa Ione 4

JULY

117 The Summoning Kelley Armstrong 3.5

118 Thereby Hangs a Tail Spencer Quinn 5

119 Passion Unleashed Larissa Ione 4

120 The Awakening Kelley Armstrong 5

121 Sucker for Love Kimberly Raye 4

122 Undead and Unwelcome MaryJanice Davidson 4

123 Nose Down Eyes Up Merrill Markoe 5

124 Other People's Husbands Judy Astley 3

125 Hope in a Jar Beth Harbison 5

126 The Crowning Glory of Calla Lilly Ponder Rebecca Wells 4

127 Season of the Witch Natasha Mostert 5

128 Sugar Time Jane Adams 5

129 DarkWood ME Breen 4

130 Best Friends Forever Jennifer Weiner 5

131 Six Word Memoirs on Love & Heartbreak Larry Smith 5

132 Shire Hell Rachel Johnson 3

133 Queen Takes King Gigi Lavigne Grazier 4

134 Twenties Girl Sophie Kinsella 4

135 Dogfessions Nikki Moustaki 5

136 Last Vampire Standing Nancy Haddock 4

137 The Girl She Used to Be David Cristofano 4

AUGUST TOTAL READ: 17

138 A Mermaid's Kiss Joey Hill 3

139 Secondhand Spirits Juliet Blackwell 4

140 Beverly Hills Adjacent Steinhauer Hendra 3

141 City of Glass Cassandra Clare 4

142 Losing Mum & Pup Christopher Buckley 4

143 Dead is a State of Mind Marlene Perez 4

144 LA Candy Lauren Conrad 3.5

145 The Best of Times Penny Vincenzi 5

146 The Pretend Wife Bridget Asher 4

147 Dead is so Last Year Marlene Perez 4

148 My Soul To Take Rachel Vincent 5

149 Prospect Park West Amy Sohn 5

150 The Demon's Lexicon Sarah Rees Brennan 4

151 Graceling Kristin Cashore 3.5

152 Fire Kristin Cashore 4

153 Hell Week Rosemary Clement-Moore 4

154 Unexpected Development Marlene Perez 4

SEPTEMBER TOTAL READ: 22

155 The White Queen Philippa Gregory 4.5

156 A Change in Altitude Anita Shreve 4.5

157 Her Fearful Symmetry Audrey Niffenegger 4.5

158 It's Not That I'm Bitter Gina Barecca 3.5

159 Would Be Witch Kimberly Frost 3

160 Demon Can't Help It Kathy Love 3

161 Hothouse Flower and the Nine Plants Marogt Berwin 4

162 Wishful Drinking Carrie Fisher 4

163 Dexter By Design Jeff Lindsay 4.5

164 Thorn Queen Richelle Mead 4.5

165 Thirsty MT Anderson 3

166 I Can't Keep My Own Secrets Larry Smith 5

167 The Lost Symbol Dan Brown 4.5

168 Ghost Huntress #1 Marley Gibson 4

169 Mercury in Retrograde Paula Froelich 4

170 Hedge Fund Wives Tatiana Boncompagni 4

171 The Forest of Hands And Teeth Carrie Ryan 3.5

172 Hot Dogs Nicholas Noyes 4

173 The Wednesday Sisters Meg Waite Clayton 4.5

174 Stakes & Stillettos Michelle Rowen 4.5

175 Zombie Queen of Newbury High Amanda Ashby 4

176 Tall, Dark & Fangsome Michelle Rowen 5

OCTOBER TOTAL READ: 19

177 One Day David Nicholls 3.5

178 Give Up The Ghost Megan Crewe 4

179 This Is Where I Leave You Jonathan Tropper 4.5

180 Hush Hush Becca Fitzpatrick 5

181 Parites and Potions Sarah Mlynowski 4

182 Barely Bewitched Kimberly Frost 3.5

183 Juliet Naked Nick Hornby 3.5

184 The Tales of Beedle the Bard JK Rowling 4

185 Half Broke Horses Jeannette Wall 5

186 Seraph of Sorrow MaryJanice Davidson 4.5

187 Retail Hell Freeman Hall 4

188 Possession Devyn Quinn 4.5

189 Strange Things Happen Stewart Copeland 4

190 Kith Holly Black 4

191 Ravenous Sharon Ashwood 4

192 Alice I have Been Melanie Benjamin 5

193 The Silent Gift Michael Landon Jr 3.5

194 The Wyrm King Holly Black 3.5

195 Beastly Alex Flinn 4.5

NOVEMBER TOTAL READ: 19

196 Dying Bites DD Barant 4

197 Ash Malinda Lo 3.5

198 The Truth About Melody Browne Lisa Jewell 4

199 One Nation Under Dog Michael Shaffer 3

200 Defenders of the Scroll Shiraz 3.5

201 The Rising Sea Orrin Pilkey 3

202 You Better Not Cry Augusten Burroughs 4

203 The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins 4.5

204 Soulless Gail Carriger 3.5

205 The Secret of Joy Melissa Senate 4

206 Hot for the Holidays Lora Leigh 3

207 Catching Fire Suzanne Collins 5

208 Knit The Season Kate Jacobs 4

209 Wicked Lovely Desert Tales #1 Melissa Marr 4

210 Over My Dead Body Michelle Bardsley 3.5

211 Unmasked (Michael Jackson) Ian Halperin 3

212 The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns Elizabeth Leiknes 4.5

213 Ghost Huntress #2 Marley Gibson 4

214 High On Arrival Mackenzie Phillips 3

DECEMBER Total Read: 9

215 Fallen Lauren Kate 5

216 The Christmas Cookie Club Anne Pearlman 3.5

217 How to Be Famous Heidi Montag/Spencer Pratt 2

218 I Drink For A Reason David Cross 4

219 Hollywood Barks! Segura, et al 5

220 Nanny Returns McLaughlin & Kraus 4

221 Secret Society Tom Dolby 3.5

222 Doxie Moxie Melissa Sovey 5

223 I Don’t Care About Your Band Julie Klausner 4

I Don't Care About Your Band: What I Learned from Indie Rockers, Trust Funders, Pornographers, Felons, Faux-Sensitive Hipsters, and Other Guys I've Dated by Julie Klausner (Book Review 223)

2010-01-04T20:05:00.000-08:00

I Don't Care About Your Band: What I Learned from Indie Rockers, Trust Funders, Pornographers, Felons, Faux-Sensitive Hipsters, and Other Guys I've Dated by Julie Klausner

LOVED IT

This book was an excellent way to finish the year. If you like Jen Lancaster, Laurie Notaro or Chelsea Handler, this book should be at the top of your wish list. It is truly laugh out loud funny and I found myself forcing my husband to listen while I read paragraphs to him. OK, so maybe I am out of the demo for this book, but I could still relate. I think any girl who has ever dated has had several of these guys someplace in their lives.

My favorite is the story about the vegan rocker from Seattle and the other indie musician from Brooklyn. I think I have met both of those guys and done their laundry. The book is just so full of sly observations that I can't wait until Klausner has another book ready for me to read. I am now following her blog to get something to hold me over.

Product Description

In the tradition of Cynthia Heimel and Chelsea Handler, and with the boisterous iconoclasm of Amy Sedaris, Julie Klausner's candid and funny debut I Don't Care About Your Band sheds light on the humiliations we endure to find love--and the lessons that can be culled from the wreckage.
I Don't Care About Your Band posits that lately the worst guys to date are the ones who seem sensitive. It's the jerks in nice guy clothing, not the players in Ed Hardy, who break the hearts of modern girls who grew up in the shadow of feminism, thinking they could have everything, but end up compromising constantly. The cowards, the kidults, the critics, and the contenders: these are the stars of Klausner's memoir about how hard it is to find a man--good or otherwise--when you're a cynical grown-up exiled in the dregs of Guyville.

Off the popularity of her New York Times "Modern Love" piece about getting the brush-off from an indie rock musician, I Don't care About Your Band is marbled with the wry strains of Julie Klausner's precocious curmudgeonry and brimming with truths that anyone who's ever been on a date will relate to. Klausner is an expert at landing herself waist-deep in crazy, time and time again, in part because her experience as a comedy writer (Best Week Ever, TV Funhouse on SNL) and sketch comedian from NYC's Upright Citizens Brigade fuels her philosophy of how any scene should unfold, which is, "What? That sounds crazy? Okay, I'll do it."

I Don't Care About Your Band charts a distinctly human journey of a strong-willed but vulnerable protagonist who loves men like it's her job, but who's done with guys who know more about love songs than love. Klausner's is a new outlook on dating in a time of pop culture obsession, and she spent her 20's doing personal field research to back up her philosophies. This is the girl's version of High Fidelity. By turns explicit, funny and moving, Klausner's debut shows the evolution of a young woman who endured myriad encounters with the wrong guys, to emerge with real-world wisdom on matters of the heart. I Don't Care About Your Band is Julie Klausner's manifesto, and every one of us can relate.

About the Author
http://julieklausner.com/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Product Details
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Gotham (February 2, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1592405614
ISBN-13: 978-1592405619

Obtained From: Bookmooch

December 2009 Re Cap

2010-01-04T20:27:00.000-08:00

I completed my challenge of reading more than 200 books this year. I know I read a few more, but I lost track of some this past month because of computer failure, puppy problems and random other stuff....but I did reviews on these:

215 Fallen Lauren Kate 5

216 The Christmas Cookie Club Anne Pearlman 3.5

217 How to Be Famous Heidi Montag/Spencer Pratt 2

218 I Drink For A Reason David Cross 4

219 Hollywood Barks! Segura, et al 5

220 Nanny Returns McLaughlin & Kraus 4

221 Secret Society Tom Dolby 3.5

222 Doxie Moxie Melissa Sovey 5

223 I Don’t Care About Your Band Julie Klausner 4

totally socially inept!

2010-01-02T14:35:00.000-08:00

I thought I would start out the New Year by updating my computer -- bad idea. I updated IE to 8 and Foxfire to the newest version and now I am blocked out of Google Friend Connect and I can't change things on my blog without Kapersky throwing a fit. I am patiently waiting for one of my son's computer literate friends to stop by and figure out what I screwed up.

Stay Tuned -- I have so many new contests to post for my blogaversary --

Happy New Year....

2009-12-31T19:52:00.000-08:00

I have so much to catch up on.

I have challenges to sign up for.

I sort of changed my blog name for the new year as well.....

Here's to changes in the new year!

Waiting On Wednesday

2009-12-30T12:18:00.000-08:00

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine and is a wonderful tradition.

Captivate by Carrie Jones

Product Details
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books (January 5, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1599903423
ISBN-13: 978-1599903422

Product Description

Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town.
A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure -- despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life -- and his.

About the Author
Carrie Jones is an award-winning author who recently graduated from Vermont College's MFA program. In addition to penning Need, she is the author of the YA novels Girl, Hero; Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape); and Tips on Having a Gay (Ex)-Boyfriend, which was nominated for a YALSA Quick Pick and won the Maine Literary Award as well as the Independent Book Publisher Award (the IPPY) . Her upcoming picture book Moe Berg, the Spy who Played Baseball (from David Godine) is being illustrated by Barry Moser. Carrie lives in Ellsworth, Maine.

www.carriejonesbooks.com

http://www.needpixies.com/

Doxie Moxie: Little Dog, Big Attitude by Melissa Sovey (Book Review 222)

2009-12-29T20:19:00.000-08:00

Doxie Moxie: Little Dog, Big Attitude by Melissa Sovey

ABSOULTELY LOVED IT

This little book is just like the dachsunds it is about. It uses the alphabetical word to describe each characteristic of my favorite breed.

The best thing in the whole book is a quote from Freud:
"When rejected by his father he became industrious and motivated; when rejected by his mother he became proudly independent; when rejected by his siblings he became deeply compassionate; but when rejected by the family dachshund he became a complete nut case."

Product Description
Guts, spunk, nerve, grit - all describe the short-statured and decidedly spirited dachshund. Herr Schnappsie, a venerable doxie with moxie in his own right, relates what being a dachshund is all about accompanied by hilarious color photographs of every type of dachshund. Photos are paired with text on being plucky, dauntless, and as tough (and sweet) as a doxie.

About the Author
Melissa Sovey is the author of Horse Wisdom, HorseWomen, 101 Uses for a Horse, and the award-winning If I Had A Horse.

Product Details
Hardcover: 96 pages
Publisher: Willow Creek Press (September 10, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1595436391
ISBN-13: 978-1595436399

Obtained From: Christmas Gift

Secret Society by Tom Dolby (Book Review 221)

2009-12-29T20:10:00.000-08:00

Secret Society by Tom Dolby

REALLY LIKED IT

The plot revovles around a New York private school and of course a secret soctiety that promises to make you successful. I know I have read stories like this in the past and this one did a good job of suspense and building the story, but I just couldn't shake the feeling of deja vu.

I really liked most of the characters, even the ones that were borderline redeemed themselves, although the whole thing seemed a little flat towards the end. There is enough alcohol in the book to make a frat boy wince and a few drug references. Nothing more than a few kisses, so no worries in that department. Overall, a decent read that I am sure a teen would love to get their hands on.

Product Description

Secrets, secrets are no fun. Secrets, secrets hurt someone. . . .
An eccentric new girl. A brooding socialite. The scion of one of New York's wealthiest families. A promising filmmaker. As students at the exclusive Chadwick School, Phoebe, Lauren, Nick, and Patch already live in a world most teenagers only dream about.
They didn't ask to be Society members. But when three of them receive a mysterious text message promising success and fame beyond belief, they say yes to everything—even to the harrowing initiation ceremony in a gritty warehouse downtown and to the ankh-shaped tattoo they're forced to get on the nape of their necks. Once they're part of the Society, things begin falling into place for them. Week after week, their ambitions are fulfilled. It's all perfect—until a body is found in Central Park with no distinguishing marks except for an ankh-shaped tattoo.
Tom Dolby makes his teen fiction debut with this riveting novel about a dangerous society so secret that once you get in, you can never get out.

About the Author
Tom Dolby is the author of the novels The Sixth Form and The Trouble Boy. He was born in London, raised in San Francisco, and now divides his time between Manhattan's West Village and Wainscott, New York. He is a graduate of Yale University, where he received his BA in the history of art. This is his first book for young adults.

Product Details

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen; 1 edition (September 29, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 006172162X
ISBN-13: 978-0061721625

Obtained From: FR book ring

Nanny Returns: A Novel by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus (Book Review 220)

2009-12-29T19:57:00.000-08:00

Nanny Returns: A Novel by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

LOVED IT

The plot is a little far-fetched, but a pleasant distraction. I was glad to see Nan finally stand up to Mrs X, although it took most of the book to get her back bone. You can easily see how giving people like Nan end up falling into the same trap of over compensating for something that isn't her responsibility. It did have the requisite happy ending!

Product Description
Now she's back. After living abroad for twelve years, she and her husband, Ryan, aka H.H., have returned to New York to make a life for themselves. In the midst of getting her new business off the ground and fixing up their fixer-upper, Ryan announces his sudden desire to start a family. His timing simply couldn't be worse.
To compound the mounting construction and marital chaos, her former charge, Grayer X, now sixteen years old, makes a drunken, late-night visit, wanting to know why she abandoned him all those years ago. But how can she explain to Grayer what she still hasn't come to terms with herself? In an attempt to assuage her guilt, yet against every instinct, Nan tries to help Grayer and his younger brother, Stilton, through their parents' brutal divorce, drawing her back into the ever-bizarre life of Mrs. X and her Upper East Side enclave of power and privilege.
After putting miles and years between herself and this world, Nan finds she's once again on the front line of the battle with the couture-clad elite for their children's wellbeing.
With its whip-smart dialogue and keen observations of modern life, Nanny Returns gives a firsthand tour of what happens when a community that chose money over love finds itself with neither.
The Nanny Diaries was made into a major motion picture.

About the Author
Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin are the authors of The Nanny Diaries and Citizen Girl. They live and work in New York City. Please visit their website at http://www.emmaandnicola.com/.

Product Details

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Atria (December 15, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416585672
ISBN-13: 978-1416585671

Obtained From: Public Library

Bound by Sin Giveaway at Wicked lil Pixie

2009-12-29T17:29:00.001-08:00

go here for a simple entry!

New Year - New Blog Design Contest | Parajunkee's View

2009-12-29T06:52:00.000-08:00

New Year - New Blog Design Contest | Parajunkee's View

Want a new look for the New Year??

Enter the New Year - New Blog Design Contest right here at Parajunkee's View.

Pretty cool, right? I would love a new design.

Wendy's Minding Spot: Triple ARC Give-Away!

2009-12-28T12:25:00.000-08:00

Wendy's Minding Spot: Triple ARC Give-Away!

Go check this out, I just entered~

Mindful Musings: 400 Followers Giveaway! (International)

2009-12-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

Mindful Musings: 400 Followers Giveaway! (International)

Go check this out, you can win your choice of several books and the contest is open worldwide!

Squirrels win in Canada....oh noes.....

2009-12-26T16:14:00.000-08:00

Published December 24, 2009

LOCAL NEWS
Bylaw to stop dogs from chasing squirrels, seagulls
Jenny Wagler/Staff Writer
Sechelt dogs that "without provocation" chase any animal — be it a rat, squirrel, seagull, bear or cougar — would violate a dog licensing and control amendment bylaw that passed three readings at the Dec. 16 council meeting.
The first draft of the bylaw, prepared by District of Sechelt staff, would only have stopped dogs from chasing, biting or attacking domesticated animals. But at committee of the whole Dec. 9, Coun. Keith Thirkell suggested expanding the bylaw to include wild animals and birds as well. Thirkell argued that this would bring it in line with provincial and federal legislation that protects various wild animals, including migratory birds and endangered species.
Councillors Fred Taylor and Alice Janisch voted against the bylaw.
"People have given me examples where their dog has run after seagulls and that would be a crime [if we pass this bylaw]," Taylor said. "One individual has talked to me about their dog chasing a rat in their yard. That would be a crime. People have talked again about bears in the park and how their dog ran after the bear to defend them and save them from being attacked. That would be a crime. I just think we're unnecessarily criminalizing behaviour in our community."
Coun. Ann Kershaw said the clause "without provocation" was key, and that she hoped common sense would guide how the bylaw gets enforced.
"I've thought it over and I think that if a coyote was in my yard, then I think that's provocation in itself," she said. "It depends on your interpretation of provocation. And a bird fluttering away in front of a dog, that's provocation."
Thirkell asked staff to clarify if the bylaw would be enforced differently for incidents that occurred on people's private property.
"If you look at it from practical terms, it's highly unlikely our bylaw enforcement officer would be as concerned with something occurring on somebody's private property, because there's a good chance nobody would be complaining about it," District director of corporate services Jo-Anne Frank said. "But if somebody saw a dog chasing a bird and had an issue with it, and it says in our bylaw that that's an offence, then theoretically our bylaw enforcement officers would be reacting to that complaint and enforcing the provisions of the bylaw."
© Copyright 2009, Coast Reporter
Story URL: http://www.coastreporter.net/article/20091224/SECHELT0101/312249977/-1/SECHELT0101/bylaw-to-stop-dogs-from-chasing-squirrels-seagulls

Free Download E book Melissa Schroeder's A Little Harmless Kalikimaka

2009-12-24T08:56:00.000-08:00

WARNING: Explicit Content

Go visit Melissa Schroeder and download a free ebook for the holidays!

Another Dog Calendar Giveway! Ends 1.1.10

2009-12-23T20:14:00.000-08:00

I have one more small dog calendar to give away. This is really cute and can be used as a mousepad. Sorry, no pic yet.

Please leave a comment here with a way to contact you.
Additional entries and please leave one comment for each entry.

+1 Follower
+1 post this someplace and leave a link (one entry for each post)
+1 leave a comment each day...
+1 whatever you can think of!

OPEN WORLDWIDE....

War vets, shelter dogs heal together in program

2009-12-23T14:42:00.000-08:00

A nice story for the day --

War vets, shelter dogs heal together in program from MSNBC

updated 10:14 a.m. PT, Wed., Dec . 23, 2009

WASHINGTON - Dave Sharpe was troubled by thoughts he could not share after he returned from a tour in Iraq. "I found myself waking up in the middle of the night, punching holes in walls, kicking and beating the refrigerator door," he said.
Then one day, the former Air Force senior airman went with a friend to a local pit bull rescue and took home a puppy, Cheyenne. Next time he found himself kicking something, "I saw this puppy, cocking her head, looking up at me, like, what are you doing?"
Finally, Sharpe had someone he could open up to. "I froze, I put down my drink, I picked her up and laid with her in my bed," he said. "I cried and I told her the whole story. I didn't feel judged."
The experience inspired Sharpe, who lives in Washington's Virginia suburbs, to start Pets2Vets, a group that pairs veterans with homeless pets by arranging adoptions of shelter animals. It has made two or three matches a week since its start in October.

One of the goals of Pets2Vets is to raise awareness about post-traumatic stress disorder. Sharpe says that while a few groups provide veterans with service dogs, many PTSD and traumatic brain injury patients do not qualify for these programs. Even when they do, because of the stigma still attached to psychological problems, they may hesitate to apply.
A reason to go on Cheyenne showed, however, that even a "regular" dog can work miracles, Sharpe believes, and former Army Staff Sgt. Will "Ace" Acevedo agrees. Acevedo took Xena, a Jack Russell mix puppy, home to North Carolina at the beginning of December.
"She's done wonders for me," he says.
Diagnosed with PTSD in 2003, Acevedo says medication can do only so much. Xena gives him something else to think about instead of feeling sorry for himself, and with an energetic puppy in a house with brand-new carpets, he has plenty to concentrate on.
"Instead of you focusing on yourself and your battle wounds, you focus on the dog," he says.
And like Sharpe, he says, "I talk to her. I tell her how I feel. She looks at me like, `Don't worry buddy, everything's going to be all right,' and she licks my face."
Currently, veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the DC VA Hospital are adopting pets from the Washington Animal Rescue League, where staff help make the right match. Ray Crook of suburban Maryland says that when he visited the shelter and talked about what his family wanted in a dog, the staff brought out Meyer and "it was love at first sight."
After just a few weeks, Meyer, a medium-sized shepherd-Akita mix, "feels like he's been part of my family for a very long time," he says. The dog loves the grandchildren, but he's also especially attached to Crook, who says "I should have named him Shadow — he follows me everywhere."
Donna Crook, left, her grandson Rico, center, and her husband former Army sergeant Raymond Crook, play with Meyer, a 3-year-old Shepard/Akita mix.
Crook, a former Army sergeant who has diabetes, says his long walks and talks with Meyer are good for his health.
"I take my medication for depression, but he's really healthy for me mentally and spiritually," he says.
Washington Animal Rescue League director Gary Weitzman says the partnership with Pets2Vets was an ideal fit for their organization, which has in the past worked with veterans at nearby Walter Reed on an individual basis. Pets can be matched with vets up to two months before their discharge date and make weekly visits with them; there also are volunteer opportunities, to spend time with shelter animals, for soldiers who cannot yet be matched with pets of their own.
Plans to expand across the country
It is a win-win situation for the shelter and the vets, Weitzman says: "We provide them a healing environment, to continue their recovery, but they also help our animals, many of which are recovering from traumas themselves."
With the success of their pilot program, Pets2Vets plans to expand early next year to additional shelters in the DC area and then across the country in partnership with local veterans organizations.
Sharpe says his long-term goal is to extend the program to police, fire and rescue personnel and victims of natural disasters and other traumas. While helping the estimated 10 to 12 million cases of PTSD in this country, he says, "imagine saving the lives of that many dogs and cats."
Of course, Sharpe would add that it is not just the animals who are being saved.
"She saved me," he said, talking about Cheyenne.

Waiting On Wednesday

2009-12-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The third and final book in the paranormal teen series that includes The New York Times bestseller Wake and Fade.

About the Author
Lisa McMann is also the author of Wake. She lives with her family in the Phoenix area. Read more about Lisa at http://lisamcmann.com or be her friend at http://www.myspace.com/lisamcmann.

Product Details

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse (February 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416979182
ISBN-13: 978-1416979180

GIVEAWAY -- EXIT MUSIC BY IAN RANKIN Ends 1.3.10

2009-12-07T18:34:00.000-08:00

WIN EXIT MUSIC BY IAN RANKIN Ends 1.3.10

Thanks to Hachette Publishing I have a copy of Exit Music to Giveaway

Book Description From the Publisher:

It's late in the fall in Edinburgh and late in the career of Detective Inspector John Rebus. As he is simply trying to tie up some loose ends before his retirement, a new case lands on his desk: a dissident Russian poet has been murdered in what looks like a mugging gone wrong.

Rebus discovers that an elite delegation of Russian businessmen is in town, looking to expand its interests. And as Rebus's investigation gains ground, someone brutally assaults a local gangster with whom he has a long history.

Has Rebus overstepped his bounds for the last time? Only a few days shy of the end to his long, controversial career, will Rebus even make it that far?

About the Author: Ian Rankin is a #1 international bestselling author. Winner of an Edgar Award and the recipient of a Gold Dagger for fiction and the Chandler-Fulbright Award, he lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, with his wife and their two sons.

Usual rules apply -- US and Canada only, no PO Boxes.

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GIVEAWAY-- FALLEN BY LAUREN KATE ends 1.3.10

2009-12-13T15:29:00.000-08:00

YOU WANT IT, RIGHT?

You can win my ARC copy, gently read. I use bookmarks! This contest is open to US and Canada and PO Boxes are OK. I am paying for shipping.

Product Description

There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.
Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.
Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.
Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.

About the Author
Lauren Kate recently finished her M.A. in Creative Writing at UC Davis, where she also teaches. She lives and writes in an old farm house in Winters, California. Her first novel, The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove goes on sale one month before Fallen.

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GIVEAWAY The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay (Book Review 220)

2009-12-17T19:15:00.000-08:00

The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay

ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT

I was so excited to get my hands on this book and it was everything I wanted: Intricate world building that was such a pleasure to read and I loved how the author slipped in details along the way. Great characters that made me want to spend more time with them. (I am sooo buying the second one in the series the minute it is released!) And a plot that follows through. For a debut, this one is amazing. Charlie Madigan is right up with Jazz Parks for me.

Product Description

Atlanta: it's the promised city for the off-worlders, foreigners from the alternate dimensions of heaven-like Elysia and hell-like Charbydon. Some bring good works and miracles. And some bring unimaginable evil....

Charlie Madigan is a divorced mother of one, and a kick-ass cop trained to take down the toughest human and off-world criminals. She's recently returned from the dead after a brutal attack, an unexplained revival that has left her plagued by ruthless nightmares and random outbursts of strength that make doing her job for Atlanta P.D.'s Integration Task Force even harder. Since the Revelation, the criminal element in Underground Atlanta has grown, leaving Charlie and her partner Hank to keep the chaos to a dull roar. But now an insidious new danger is descending on her city with terrifying speed, threatening innocent lives: a deadly, off-world narcotic known as ash. Charlie is determined to uncover the source of ash before it targets another victim -- but can she protect those she loves from a force more powerful than heaven and hell combined?

About the Author:
http://www.kellygay.net/

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages

Publisher: Pocket (November 24, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439109656
ISBN-13: 978-1439109656

Obtained From: The Publisher

NOW THE GOOD PART:

You can enter to win this book from ME!! (my gently read copy)
AND -- another lucky winner will get a copy direct from POCKET BOOKS!

US and CANADA ONLY ENDS 1.3.10 PO BOXES ARE OK for my copy, NO PO BOXES for the one from Pocket!
Here is what you have to do:
Leave a separate comment for each entry, I know it is a pain but I am making you earn it!
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+2 New Follower
+1 Follower
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+1 For each Post about this on any social site or your blog that you leave a link.
+3 Sign up to follow Kelly Gay at her blog HERE

Better Part of Darkness Blog Tour -- stop by and check out the other stops on the tour!
My Life in Not So Many Words: http://www.ziarias.blogspot.com/
Parajunkee’s View: http://parajunkee.blogspot.com/
Crazy Books & Reviews: http://lindsayphotobook.blogspot.com/
The Book Tree: http://thebooktree.blogspot.com/
Book Junkie: http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com/
Jeanne's Ramblings: http://www.jeannesramblings.com
Drey’s Library: http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
Poisoned Rationality: http://lastexilewords.blogspot.com/
Found Not Lost: http://jmomfinds.amoores.com/
A Book Bloggers Diary: http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/
Booksie’s Blog: http://booksiesblog.blogspot.com/
The Life (and Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object: http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/
My Adventures in Mommyland: http://musingmainiac.blogspot.com/
I Heart Book Gossip: http://juniperrbreeeze.blogspot.com/
All About {n}: http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/
The Bibliophilic Book Blog: http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/
Jen’s Book Talk: http://jensbooktalk.blogspot.com/
Readaholic: http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
Chick with Books: http://www.chickwithbooks.blogspot.com/
Reading with Tequila: http://readingwithtequila.blogspot.com/
Pick of the Literate: http://bookrevues.blogspot.com/
Books Gardens & Dogs: http://maryinhb.blogspot.com/
Wendy’s Minding Spot: http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/
Revenge of the Booknerds: http://booknerdextraordinaire.blogspot.com/
You Wanna Know What I Think?: http://www.kballard87.blogspot.com/
Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm: http://fayeflamereviews.blogspot.com/
Patricia’s Vampire Notes: http://patricias-vampire-notes.blogspot.com/
SciFi Guy: http://www.scifiguy.ca/
The Wayfaring Writer: http://moonsanity.blogspot.com/
Book Soulmates: http://booksoulmates.blogspot.com/