Saturday, July 31, 2010

Book Giveaways in Blogworld (07-31-10 edition)

Note: A reminder that you are free to email me about any giveaways that you are having, if you want me to blog them, and I'll be happy to try to post them even if I am not entering them. Just include a link to the giveaway, what you are giving away, how many copies are being given away, and the deadline in order to assure being included. Email me at nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com.

Here is a list of some giveaways going on in Blogworld*. Please note that new giveaways that were added this week are indented in Blockquotes:

All About {n} is giving away 3 copies of April & Oliver. Deadline is July 31. US/Canada only.

Library Girl Reads is giving away $70 to CSN Stores. Deadline is July 31. US/Canada only.

Giveaways and More is giving away 3 sets of six books each of Rita Awards Nominees. Deadline is July 31. US/Canada only.

The Fiction Enthusiast is giving away 5 copies of Barely a Lady. Deadline is July 31. US/Canada only.

Wicked Good Books is giving away a copy of Twenty Boy Summer in celebration for her 1st blogiversary! Deadline is July 31. US/Canada only.

The Eclectic Reader is giving away your choice of four books. Deadline is July 31. International!

Reading with Tequila is giving away up to 4 gently read books. Deadline is July 31. US only.

Queen of Happy Endings is giving away your choice of three books. Deadline is July 31. International!

Readaholic is giving away 3 copies of April & Oliver. Deadline is July 31. US/Canada only.

Alison's Book Marks is giving away a copy of Linger. Deadline is July 31. US/Canada only.

Bookin' with Bingo is giving away a copy of The Search. Deadline is July 31. US only.

A Journey of Books is giving away 5 copies of Barely a Lady. Deadline is August 1. US/Canada only.

Crazy for Books is giving away 3 copies of Hidden Wives. Deadline is August 1. International!

At Home with Books is giving away a copy of How to Be an American Housewife. Deadline is August 1. US/Canada only.

Over the Edge Book Reviews is giving away 2 copies of White Heat. Deadline is August 1.

Lori's Reading Corner is giving away 2 copies of The Breaking of Eggs. Deadline is August 2. US/Canada only.

Crazy for Books is giving away Never Wave Goodbye. Deadline is August 2. US/Canada only.

Ellz Readz is giving 2 winners their choice of a book from the Book Depository. Deadline is August 2. International!

The Fiction Enthusiast is giving away Infinite Days. Deadline is August 3. US/Canada only.

Jo-Jo Loves to Read is giving away up to 3 copies of an audiobook of Backseat Saints. Dealine is August 6. US/Canada only.

Butterfly Book Reviews is giving away a copy of Linger. Deadline is August 6. US/Canada only.

So Many Precious Books, So Little Time is giving away up to 3 copies of Fit for Life. Deadline is August 6. US/Canada only.

Mindful Musings is giving away a copy of The Fiddler's Gun. Deadline is August 6. US only.

Lori's Reading Corner is giving away 2 copies of The Blind Contessa's New Machine. Deadline is August 6. US/Canada only.

Crazy for Books is giving away 2 copies of The Blind Contessa's New Machine. Deadline is August 6. US/Canada only.

Go Yay! is giving away 3 copies of Fit for Life. Deadline is August 6. US/Canada only.

He Followed Me Home is giving away a $25 Visa card and a copy of The Iron King. Deadline is August 7. US/Canada only.

All About {n} is giving away 3 copies of Follow Me. Deadline is August 8. US/Canada only.

Pure Imagination is giving away 4 books in a summer celebration. Deadline is August 8. International!

Peeking Between the Pages is giving away a 5 book collection from Hatchette Book Group! Deadline is August 8. US/Canada only.

Chick with Books is giving away a copy of The Disappearing Spoon. Deadline is August 8. US/Canada only.

Lori's Reading Corner is giving away 4 copies of The Jewel of St. Petersburg. Deadline is August 9. US only.

Crazy for Books is giving away 4 copies of The Jewel of St. Petersburg. Deadline is August 9. US only.
Lori's Reading Corner is giving 2 winners a choice of book from a list in honor of Penguin's 75th Anniversary! Deadline is August 10. US/Canada only.

Readaholic is giving away 2 copies of And One Last Thing. Deadline is August 10. US only.

Readaholic is giving away 3 copies of The Jewel of St. Petersburg. Deadline is August 11. US/Canada only.

A Musing Reviews is giving away 2 copies of The Link. Deadline is August 11. US/Canada only.
Just Jennifer Reading is giving away 2 copies of The Disappearing Spoon. Deadline is August 11. US/Canada only.

Just Jennifer Reading is giving away 3 copies of Queen Pin. Deadline is August 11. US/Canada only.

Books R Us is giving away a copy of Blind Hope. Deadline is August 11.

Bookin' with Bingo is giving away 2 copies of The Disappearing Spoon. Deadline is August 11. US/Canada only.

Just Jennifer Reading is giving away 3 copies of the audiobook Backseat Saints. Deadline is August 11. US/Canada only.

Bookin' with Bingo is giving away a 5 book collection from Hachette Book Group! Deadline is August 12. US/Canada only.

Bookin' with Bingo is giving away Ghost Shadow. Deadline is August 12. US only.
Crazy for Books is giving away a book in honor of Penguin's 75th Anniversary. Deadline is August 13. US/Canada only.

Readaholic is giving away 3 copies of Follow Me. Deadline is August 13. US/Canada only.
Bookin' with Bingo is giving away all three books included in the latest The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest trilogy. Deadline is August 15. US only.

At Home with Books is giving away 3 copies of Fit for Life. Deadline is August 15. US/Canada only.
Books R Us is giving away a copy of Her Fearful Symmetry. Deadline is August 15. US/Canada only.
A Musing Reviews is giving away 2 copies of And One Last Thing. Deadline is August 16.

A Musing Reviews is giving away 3 copies of Fit for Life. Deadline is August 16. US/Canada only.

Passages to the Past is giving away a copy of The Jewel of St. Petersburg. Deadline is August 16. US/Canada only.

Simply Stacie is giving away 5 copies of Wicked Intentions. Deadline is August 16. US/Canada only.
Libby's Library News is giving away 20 books! Deadline is August 16. US/Canada only.

Books R Us is giving away 3 copies of Fit for Life. Deadline is August 16. US/Canada only.
Bookhounds is giving away 5 copies of Wicked Intentions. Deadline is August 17. US/Canada only.
Just Jennifer Reading is giving away 3 copies of Fit for Life. Deadline is August 18. US/Canada only.
A Musing Reviews is giving away Red Rain. Deadline is August 19.
A Sea of Books is giving away 3 copies of Follow Me. Deadline is August 20. US/Canada only.

Peeking Between the Pages is giving away 3 copies of Follow Me. Deadline is August 22. US/Canada only.
The Eclectic Reader is giving away your choice of 3 books. Deadline is August 31. International!
A Journey of Books is giving away 2 copies of Cold Rock River. I can't find any deadline mentioned. US/Canada only.

*Courtesy Note: Please keep in mind the many, many hours of work that goes into me compiling this list each week. Please be courteous and thoughtful, and do not steal my text. Either recreate your own list, or link to this list and direct your readers here for giveaway information. Thank you so much for your consideration.

Friday, July 30, 2010

I Wanna...Fireflies in December by Jennifer Erin Valent

“The summer I turned thirteen, I thought I killed a man.”

So begins the story of Jessilyn Lassiter, a young girl whose world is torn apart the summer of 1932. When Jessilyn’s best friend, Gemma, loses her parents in a tragic fire, Jessilyn’s father vows to care for her as his own, despite the fact that Gemma is black and prejudice is prevalent in their southern Virginia town.

It doesn’t take long for the Lassiters to attract the attention of a local band of Ku Klux Klan members, who make increasingly violent threats on Jessilyn and her family.

As she struggles to navigate a complex world of first crushes, loyalties, and betrayals, Jessilyn ultimately discovers what it takes to be a bright light in a dark world.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Looky what I got...The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

I work for a software company, and the head tech had a dialogue going with one of our users regarding this book. I remarked to her that I had never read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Well the other day I received this, The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (the entire collection), in the mail at work as a gift from our head tech.

How I have survived six years in a tech office without reading at least the first book in this series, I have no idea. However I will be starting on this collection sometime this year, and begin my journey through the galaxy! If I disappear for awhile, you know where I'll be!

My Reading Style

I've been noticing certain trends with me that I find are becoming indicative of a certain reading style that I consistently display:
  • I read multiple books at once. This is partially due to a tendency to boredom requiring a lot of variety. It is also partially due to me being a bit scatter-brained. So I need to have one book by my bedside and one in my purse and another in the living room. That way I always have one available, and don't have to work so hard to remember to grab my book as I go.
  • The first 50 pages are difficult for me. I have a hard time getting into a story during the slow build-up that you commonly have at the beginning of a story. So I hem and haw, debate on whether to continue reading the book, read a couple of pages and then put the book down, read a couple of paragraphs and put the book down. Then suddenly the book catches me, usually between 50-75 pages in, and then I'm hooked and can't wait to see what will happen next.
  • A book is like my gas gauge-- the first half goes slowly, and the second half just whizzes by! I guess another comparison would be a road trip. Don't you find that the trip home goes by so much faster than the first half? Books seem to drag on and on for the first half, and the final 100 pages usually flies by! And a good book is sort of like a road trip, isn't it? I mean, it takes you on a journey, and then brings you back on home again. Part of the explanation for this phenomenon is probably due to point #2 above. I just take so long to get through the first 50 pages. And by the time I get to the final 100 pages, I am usually immersed into a high-octane storyline that has me hooked. So I wind up foregoing everything else (including the computer *gasp*) to complete the story. Also keep in mind that I am generally a slow reader. Others will finish a book in a single day that may take me a week or two to get through. A couple of paragraphs read while I brush my teeth, a few more read pumping gas, a couple of pages read in bed before I pass out from exhaustion. I read in fits and starts.
So how about you? Do you have a certain "reading style"? Do you just sit down and devour books in a single sitting, or are you a distracted reader who only reads a little at a time? Do you focus on one book at a time, or do you have multiple books going at once? Do you find that books go down smoothly, or do they go in fits and starts? Like me, do you find that maybe the beginning drags on slowly, while the end flies by?

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

What's Releasing (07-28-10 edition)

Available the week of 8/2/10:

Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer

Artemis has committed his entire fortune to a project he believes will save the planet and its inhabitants, both human and fairy. Can it be true? Has goodness taken hold of the world’s greatest teenage criminal mastermind?

Captain Holly Short is unconvinced, and discovers that Artemis is suffering from Atlantis Complex, a psychosis common among guilt-ridden fairies -- not humans -- and most likely triggered by Artemis’s dabbling with fairy magic. Symptoms include obsessive-compulsive behavior, paranoia, multiple personality disorder and, in extreme cases, embarrassing professions of love to a certain feisty LEPrecon fairy.

Unfortunately, Atlantis Complex has struck at the worst possible time. A deadly foe from Holly’s past is intent on destroying the actual city of Atlantis. Can Artemis escape the confines of his mind -- and the grips of a giant squid -- in time to save the underwater metropolis and its fairy inhabitants?

New York Times best-selling author Eoin Colfer delivers a knockout, fast-paced, and hilarious adventure in Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex, the seventh book in the blockbuster series.


Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Twilight tempted the imagination. New Moon made readers thirsty for more. Eclipse turned the saga into a worldwide phenomenon. And now, the book that everyone has been waiting for...

Breaking Dawn, the final book in the #1 bestselling Twilight Saga, will take your breath away.




City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments Series #3) by Cassandra Clare

To save her mother’s life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters—never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family’s past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he’s willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City—whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the third installment of bestselling series the Mortal Instruments.

Includes an exclusive sneak peek of the fourth book in the Mortal Instruments series: City of Fallen Angels! And don't miss the teaser from Clockwork Angel, the first book in the Infernal Devices trilogy, the prequel to the Mortal Instruments series.



Also available this week:

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Teaser Tuesday (07-27-10 edition)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
Today's Teaser:

Junior felt a wild urge to scream with laughter. Or triumph. Or both. Big Jim's hand was still on the nape of his neck. Not squeezing. Not pinching. Almost...caressing.

-- Under the Dome by Stephen King (page 139)

Monday, July 26, 2010

Mailbox Monday (07-26-10 edition)

Image licensed from bigstockphoto.com Copyright stands.

Mailbox Monday is brought to us by The Printed Page. Here are just some of the books I've received over the last few weeks:

The Secrets of Newberry by Victor McGlothin Won from Just Jennifer Reading

For Ivory Bones Arcineaux and Julian Bynote, life in 1950s New Orleans couldn't be sweeter. Friends since they met in an illegal gambling house in Newberry, Louisiana, they have their pick of all the fine women, good food, and hot nights they can handle. They seem to have it made-especially Julian who begins to make a new life for himself after meeting the beautiful, classy Magnolia Garbo at a social. But both men are about to find out that letting the good times roll can be deadly when a simple robbery goes wrong and Julian witnesses Bones murdering a man in cold blood. The victim was a white city councilman with all the right connections-and if the two are discovered, it will mean the end to everything they've built together. With the New Orleans police hot on their trail, Julian must decide whether rolling in the fast lane is worth losing his freedom and his life.

The Cradle by Patrick Somerville Won from Libby's Literary News

Early one summer morning, Matthew Bishop kisses his still-sleeping wife Marissa, gets dressed and eases his truck through Milwaukee, bound for the highway. His wife, pregnant with their first child, has asked him to find the antique cradle taken years before by her mother Caroline when she abandoned Marissa, never to contact her daughter again. Soon to be a mother herself, Marissa now dreams of nothing else but bringing her baby home to the cradle she herself slept in. His wife does not know-does not want to know-where her mother lives, but Matt has an address for Caroline's sister near by and with any luck, he will be home in time for dinner.

Only as Matt tries to track down his wife's mother, he discovers that Caroline, upon leaving Marissa, has led a life increasingly plagued by impulse and irrationality, a mysterious life that grows more inexplicable with each new lead Matt gains, and door he enters. As hours turn into days and Caroline's trail takes Matt from Wisconsin to Minnesota, Illinois, and beyond in search of the cradle, Matt makes a discovery that will forever change Marissa's life, and faces a decision that will challenge everything he has ever known.

Elegant and astonishing, Patrick Somerville tells the story of one man's journey into the heart of marriage, parenthood, and what it means to be a family. Confirming the arrival of an exuberantly talented new writer, THE CRADLE is an uniquely imaginative debut novel that radiates with wisdom and wonder.

The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand Won from the book chick

Greg and Tess MacAvoy are one of four prominent Nantucket couples who count each other as best friends. As pillars of their close-knit community, the MacAvoys, Kapenashes, Drakes, and Wheelers are important to their friends and neighbors, and especially to each other. But just before the beginning of another idyllic summer, Greg and Tess are killed when their boat capsizes during an anniversary sail. As the warm weather approaches and the island mourns their loss, nothing can prepare the MacAvoy's closest friends for what will be revealed.

Once again, Hilderbrand masterfully weaves an intense tale of love and loyalty set against the backdrop of endless summer island life.


Damaged (Maggie O'Dell Series #8) by Alex Kava
Won from Knitting and Sundries

In Pensacola Beach, the Coast Guard braces for a Category-5 hurricane that has entered the Gulf of Mexico. During a routine patrol of the waterways, the aircrew spots a massive fishing cooler floating a mile offshore. The guards suspect that the icebox contains smuggled drugs, but when they open it, they’re shocked. It is filled with body parts.

Criminal profiler Maggie O’Dell is sent to investigate as the rest of Florida holds its breath for the storm’s impending arrival. Eventually, Maggie is able to trace the torso in the cooler back to a man who mysteriously disappeared weeks earlier after a hurricane hit Port St. Lucie, on the Atlantic side of Florida. How, then, did his body end up six hundred miles away in the Gulf of Mexico?

Cliffhanger chapters, behind-the-scenes forensic details, colorful characters, and satisfying twists have become the trademarks of Alex Kava’s psycho- logical thrillers. In Damaged she ratchets up the suspense by sending Maggie into the eye of a monster storm to track down a killer.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Book Giveaways in Blogworld (07-24-10 edition)

Note: A reminder that you are free to email me about any giveaways that you are having, if you want me to blog them, and I'll be happy to try to post them even if I am not entering them. Just include a link to the giveaway, what you are giving away, how many copies are being given away, and the deadline in order to assure being included. Email me at nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com.

Here is a list of some giveaways going on in Blogworld*. Please note that new giveaways that were added this week are indented in Blockquotes:

Knitting and Sundries is giving away free books as part of the big GotBooks! event. Come and get 'em! Deadline is July 24. US/Canada only.

Thoughts From an Evil Overlord is giving away a copy of Hidden Wives. Deadline is July 24. US/Canada only.

Books R Us is giving away 3 copies of Queen Pin. Deadline is July 25. US/Canada only.

Simply Stacie is giving away a copy of The Wholesome Junk Food Cookbook. Deadline is July 25. US/Canada only.

Simply Stacie is giving away 5 copies of Dangerous Desires. Deadline is July 25. US/Canada only.

Readaholic is giving away 3 copies of Backseat Saints. Deadline is July 25. US/Canada only.

Readaholic is giving away 5 copies of The Whisperers. Deadline is July 26. US/Canada only.

All Ruby Cakes is giving away 2 copies of The Disappearing Spoon. Deadline is July 26.

Library Girl Reads is giving away your choice of nine books (gently read). Deadline is July 26. US only.

Chick with Books is giving away 3 copies of Barely a Lady. Deadline is July 27. US/Canada only.

Readaholic is giving away a copy of A Wretched Man. Deadline is July 27. US only.

Yankee Romance Reviews is giving away 3 sets of the Rita Awards Nominees. Deadline is July 28. US/Canada only.

Readaholic is giving away 2 copies of Day by Day Armageddon Beyond Exile. Deadline is July 29. US only.

Simply Stacie is giving away 3 sets of six books each of Rita Awards Nominees. Deadline is July 30. US/Canada only.

A Sea of Books is giving away 3 sets of six books each of Rita Awards Nominees. Deadline is July 30. US/Canada only.

A Sea of Books is giving away 3 copies of Backseat Saints. Deadline is July 30. US/Canada only.

All About {n} is giving away 3 copies of April & Oliver. Deadline is July 31. US/Canada only.

Library Girl Reads is giving away $70 to CSN Stores. Deadline is July 31. US/Canada only.

Giveaways and More is giving away 3 sets of six books each of Rita Awards Nominees. Deadline is July 31. US/Canada only.

The Fiction Enthusiast is giving away 5 copies of Barely a Lady. Deadline is July 31. US/Canada only.

Wicked Good Books is giving away a copy of Twenty Boy Summer in celebration for her 1st blogiversary! Deadline is July 31. US/Canada only.

The Eclectic Reader is giving away your choice of four books. Deadline is July 31. International!

Reading with Tequila is giving away up to 4 gently read books. Deadline is July 31. US only.

Queen of Happy Endings is giving away your choice of three books. Deadline is July 31. International!

Readaholic is giving away 3 copies of April & Oliver. Deadline is July 31. US/Canada only.

Alison's Book Marks is giving away a copy of Linger. Deadline is July 31. US/Canada only.
Bookin' with Bingo is giving away a copy of The Search. Deadline is July 31. US only.
A Journey of Books is giving away 5 copies of Barely a Lady. Deadline is August 1. US/Canada only.

Crazy for Books is giving away 3 copies of Hidden Wives. Deadline is August 1. International!
At Home with Books is giving away a copy of How to Be an American Housewife. Deadline is August 1. US/Canada only.

Over the Edge Book Reviews is giving away 2 copies of White Heat. Deadline is August 1.
Lori's Reading Corner is giving away 2 copies of The Breaking of Eggs. Deadline is August 2. US/Canada only.

Crazy for Books is giving away Never Wave Goodbye. Deadline is August 2. US/Canada only.

Ellz Readz is giving 2 winners their choice of a book from the Book Depository. Deadline is August 2. International!
The Fiction Enthusiast is giving away Infinite Days. Deadline is August 3. US/Canada only.
Jo-Jo Loves to Read is giving away up to 3 copies of an audiobook of Backseat Saints. Dealine is August 6. US/Canada only.

Butterfly Book Reviews is giving away a copy of Linger. Deadline is August 6. US/Canada only.
So Many Precious Books, So Little Time is giving away up to 3 copies of Fit for Life. Deadline is August 6. US/Canada only.

Mindful Musings is giving away a copy of The Fiddler's Gun. Deadline is August 6. US only.

Lori's Reading Corner is giving away 2 copies of The Blind Contessa's New Machine. Deadline is August 6. US/Canada only.

Crazy for Books is giving away 2 copies of The Blind Contessa's New Machine. Deadline is August 6. US/Canada only.

Go Yay! is giving away 3 copies of Fit for Life. Deadline is August 6. US/Canada only.

He Followed Me Home is giving away a $25 Visa card and a copy of The Iron King. Deadline is August 7. US/Canada only.

All About {n} is giving away 3 copies of Follow Me. Deadline is August 8. US/Canada only.
Pure Imagination is giving away 4 books in a summer celebration. Deadline is August 8. International!

Peeking Between the Pages is giving away a 5 book collection from Hatchette Book Group! Deadline is August 8. US/Canada only.
Chick with Books is giving away a copy of The Disappearing Spoon. Deadline is August 8. US/Canada only.

Lori's Reading Corner is giving away 4 copies of The Jewel of St. Petersburg. Deadline is August 9. US only.

Crazy for Books is giving away 4 copies of The Jewel of St. Petersburg. Deadline is August 9. US only.

Just Jennifer Reading is giving away 2 copies of The Disappearing Spoon. Deadline is August 11. US/Canada only.

Just Jennifer Reading is giving away 3 copies of Queen Pin. Deadline is August 11. US/Canada only.

Books R Us is giving away a copy of Blind Hope. Deadline is August 11.

Bookin' with Bingo is giving away 2 copies of The Disappearing Spoon. Deadline is August 11. US/Canada only.
Just Jennifer Reading is giving away 3 copies of the audiobook Backseat Saints. Deadline is August 11. US/Canada only.

Bookin' with Bingo is giving away a 5 book collection from Hachette Book Group! Deadline is August 12. US/Canada only.
Bookin' with Bingo is giving away Ghost Shadow. Deadline is August 12. US only.

Readaholic is giving away 3 copies of Follow Me. Deadline is August 13. US/Canada only.

Bookin' with Bingo is giving away all three books included in the latest The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest trilogy. Deadline is August 15. US only.
At Home with Books is giving away 3 copies of Fit for Life. Deadline is August 15. US/Canada only.
Libby's Library News is giving away 20 books! Deadline is August 16. US/Canada only.
Books R Us is giving away 3 copies of Fit for Life. Deadline is August 16. US/Canada only.
Just Jennifer Reading is giving away 3 copies of Fit for Life. Deadline is August 18. US/Canada only.

A Sea of Books is giving away 3 copies of Follow Me. Deadline is August 20. US/Canada only.

Peeking Between the Pages is giving away 3 copies of Follow Me. Deadline is August 22. US/Canada only.
A Journey of Books is giving away 2 copies of Cold Rock River. I can't find any deadline mentioned. US/Canada only.

*Courtesy Note: Please keep in mind the many, many hours of work that goes into me compiling this list each week. Please be courteous and thoughtful, and do not steal my text. Either recreate your own list, or link to this list and direct your readers here for giveaway information. Thank you so much for your consideration.

Friday, July 23, 2010

I Wanna...Eddie's Bastard by William Kowalski

"Eddie's Bastard" is William Amos Mann IV, known as Billy — the son of a heroic pilot killed in Vietnam and an unknown woman. The last in a line of proud, individualistic Irish-American men, Billy is discovered in a basket at the door of the dilapidated mansion where his bitter, hard-drinking grandfather, Thomas Mann, has exiled himself. Astonished and moved by the arrival of his unexpected progeny, Thomas sets out to raise the boy himself — on a diet of love, fried baloney, and the fascinating lore of their shared heritage. Listening to his sets out to capture the stories on paper. He is a Mann, Grandpa reminds him daily, and thus destined for greatness.

Through the tales of his ancestors, his own experiences, and the unforgettable characters who enhance and enliven his adolescence, Billy learns of bravery and cowardice, of life and death, of the heart's capacity for love and for unremitting hatred, eventually grasping the meaning of family and history and their power to shape destiny. Steeped in imagery and threaded with lyricism, Eddie's Bastard is a novel of discovery, of a young man's emergence into the world, and the endless possibilities it offers.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

What's Releasing? (07-21-10 edition)

Available the week of 7/26/10:

The Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink

The ultimate battle between sisters is nearing, and its outcome could have catastrophic consequences. As sixteen year-old Lia Milthorpe searches for a way to end the prophecy, her twin sister Alice hones the skills she'll need to defeat Lia. Alice will stop at nothing to reclaim her sister's role in the prophecy, and that's not the only thing she wants: There's also Lia's boyfriend James.

Lia and Alice always knew the Prophecy would turn those closest to them against them. But they didn't know what betrayal could lead them to do. In the end, only one sister will be left standing.


The Korean War: A History by Bruce Cumings

A bracing account of a war that lingers in our collective memory as both ambiguous and unjustly ignored
For Americans, it was a discrete conflict lasting from 1950 to 1953 that has long been overshadowed by World War II, Vietnam, and the War on Terror. But as Bruce Cumings eloquently explains, for the Asian world the Korean War was a generations-long fight that still haunts contemporary events. And in a very real way, although its true roots and repercussions continue to be either misunderstood, forgotten, or willfully ignored, it is the war that helped form modern America’s relationship to the world. With access to new evidence and secret materials from both here and abroad, including an archive of captured North Korean documents, Cumings reveals the war as it was actually fought. He describes its start as a civil war, preordained long before the first shots were fired in June 1950 by lingering fury over Japan’s occupation of Korea from 1910 to 1945. Cumings then shares the neglected history of America’s post–World War II occupation of Korea, the untold stories of bloody insurgencies and rebellions, and the powerful militaries organized and equipped by America and the Soviet Union in that divided land. He tells of the United States officially entering the action on the side of the South, and exposes as never before the appalling massacres and atrocities committed on all sides and the “oceans of napalm” dropped on the North by U.S. forces in a remarkably violent war that killed as many as four million Koreans, two thirds of whom were civilians. In sobering detail, The Korean War chronicles a U.S. home front agitated by Joseph McCarthy, where absolutist conformity discouraged open inquiry and citizen dissent. Cumings incisively ties our current foreign policy back to Korea: an America with hundreds of permanent military bases abroad, a large standing army, and a permanent national security state at home, the ultimate result of a judicious and limited policy of containment evolving into an ongoing and seemingly endless global crusade. Elegantly written and blisteringly honest, The Korean War is, like the war it illuminates, brief, devastating, and essential.


Fantasy in Death (In Death Series #30) by J.D. Robb

In the latest novel from #1 New York Times-bestselling author J.D. Robb, it is game over for the criminals pursued by NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas. Bart Minnock, founder of the computer-gaming giant U-Play, enters his private playroom, and eagerly can't wait to lose himself in an imaginary world, to play the role of a sword-wielding warrior king, in his company's latest top-secret project, Fantastical. The next morning, he is found in the same locked room, in a pool of blood, his head separated from his body. It is the most puzzling case Eve Dallas has ever faced, and it is not a game. . . . NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas is having as much trouble figuring out how Bart Minnock was murdered as who did the murdering. The victim's girlfriend seems sincerely grief-stricken, and his quirky-but-brilliant partners at U-Play appear equally shocked. No one seemed to have a prob¡lem with the enthusiastic, high-spirited millionaire. Of course, success can attract jealousy, and gaming, like any business, has its fierce rivalries and dirty tricks-as Eve's husband, Roarke, one of U- Play's competitors, knows well. But Minnock was not naive, and quite capable of fighting back in the real world as well as the virtual one. Eve and her team are about to enter the next level of police work, in a world where fantasy is the ultimate seduction-and the price of defeat is death. . . .



Jealousy, Vol. 3 by Lili St. Crow

It's a good thing Dru Anderson is fast. Because the sucker chasing her isn't slowing down—and he won't rest until he has tasted her blood and silenced her heart . . .

Dru's best friend, Graves, and her strange and handsome savior, Christophe, are ready to help her take on the ultimate evil. But will their battle for Dru's heart get in the way of her survival?





The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.


World Without End by Ken Follett

Ken Follett has 90 million readers worldwide. The Pillars of the Earth is his bestselling book of all time. Now, eighteen years after the publication of The Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett has written the most-anticipated sequel of the year—World Without End. In 1989 Ken Follett astonished the literary world with The Pillars of the Earth, a sweeping epic novel set in twelfth-century England centered on the building of a cathedral and many of the hundreds of lives it affected. Critics were overwhelmed—“it will hold you, fascinate you, surround you” (Chicago Tribune)—and readers everywhere hoped for a sequel. World Without End takes place in the same town of Kingsbridge, two centuries after the townspeople finished building the exquisite Gothic cathedral that was at the heart of The Pillars of the Earth. The cathedral and the priory are again at the center of a web of love and hate, greed and pride, ambition and revenge, but this sequel stands on its own. This time the men and women of an extraordinary cast of characters find themselves at a crossroad of new ideas— about medicine, commerce, architecture, and justice. In a world where proponents of the old ways fiercely battle those with progressive minds, the intrigue and tension quickly reach a boiling point against the devastating backdrop of the greatest natural disaster ever to strike the human race—the Black Death. Three years in the writing, and nearly eighteen years since its predecessor, World Without End breathes new life into the epic historical novel and once again shows that Ken Follett is a masterful author writing at the top of his craft.



Frostbitten (Women of the Otherworld Series #10) by Kelley Armstrong

The Alaskan wilderness is a harsh landscape in the best of conditions, but with a pack of rogue werewolves on the loose, it's downright deadly. Elena Michaels, the Pack's chief enforcer, knows all too well the havoc "mutts" can wreak. When they hear of a series of gruesome maulings and murders outside Anchorage, she and her husband, Clay, journey to Alaska in the dead of winter in order to hunt down the dangerous werewolves. Trapped in this savage, untamed winter realm, she and Clay learn more about their own werewolf heritage than they bargained for, tapping a little more into the wild nature of the beast within.

Also available this week:

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Teaser Tuesday: Rooms by James L. Rubart

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
Today's Teaser:

"It's like being in the deepest parts of my own soul in those rooms," Micah continued. "Buried in ripping pain or drenched in joy and freedom. The pain is hell, but the joy is like nothing I've ever experienced. Stuff that happens only in dreams. I'm getting close to God again, and it seems so real... But I don't know if it is real or if I'm going insane..."


-- Rooms by James L. Rubart, page 138


Friday, July 16, 2010

Book Giveaways in Blogworld (07-17-10 edition)

Note: A reminder that you are free to email me about any giveaways that you are having, if you want me to blog them, and I'll be happy to try to post them even if I am not entering them. Just include a link to the giveaway, what you are giving away, how many copies are being given away, and the deadline in order to assure being included. Email me at nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com.

Here is a list of some giveaways going on in Blogworld*. Please note that new giveaways that were added this week are indented in Blockquotes:

Tales and Treats is giving away at least one book for her 50 followers contest. Deadline is July 17. US only.

A Journey of Books is giving away a copy of Masked by Moonlight. Deadline is July 17. US only.

Jo-Jo Loves to Read is giving away up to 3 copies of the audiobook Private. Deadline is July 17. US/Canada only.

A Good Addiction and La Femme Readers are holding a joint Summer Bash with six books up for grabs by 6 winners! Deadline is July 18. International!

So Many Precious Books, So Little Time is giving away up to 3 copies of Queen Pin. Deadline is July 18. US/Canada only.

So Many Precious Books, So Little Time is giving away up to 3 copies of The Disappearing Spoon. Deadline is July 18. US/Canada only.

Bookin' with Bingo is giving away 3 copies of the cookbook Farm to Fork. Deadline is July 19. US only.

A Musing Reviews is giving away a copy of The Nobodies Album. Deadline is July 19. US only.

Broken Teepee is giving away 3 copies of Dangerous Desires. Deadline is July 20. US/Canada only.

In the Hammock is giving away 5 copies of Barely a Lady. Deadline is July 20. US/Canada only.

Just Jennifer Reading is giving away 3 sets of five Rita nominees! Deadline is July 21. US/Canada only.

Just Jennifer Reading is giving away 5 copies of Barely a Lady. Deadline is July 21. US/Canada only.

Bookin' with Bingo
is giving away 4 copies of Cowboy and Wills. Deadline is July 21. US only.

Simply Stacie is giving away a copy of Hidden Wives. Deadline is July 21. US/Canada only.

Readaholic is giving away 3 copies of The Calligrapher's Daughter. Deadline is July 21. US/Canada only.

Bookin' with Bingo is giving away 3 copies of Between Two Worlds. Deadline is July 22. US only.
Paranormal & Romantic Suspense Reviews is giving away 5 copies of Dangerous Desires. Deadline is July 22. US/Canada only.
The Book Chick is giving away up to 3 copies of Cold Rock River. Deadline is July 23. US/Canada only.

So Many Precious Books, So Little Time is giving away up to 3 copies of Hitch 22. Deadline is July 23. US/Canada only.

So Many Precious Books, So Little Time is giving away up to 3 copies of The Broom of the System. Deadline is July 23. US/Canada only.
Readaholic is giving away 3 copies of The Blind Contessa's New Machine. Deadline is July 23. US/Canada only.

Knitting and Sundries is giving away free books as part of the big GotBooks! event. Come and get 'em! Deadline is July 24. US/Canada only.
Thoughts From an Evil Overlord is giving away a copy of Hidden Wives. Deadline is July 24. US/Canada only.

Books R Us is giving away 3 copies of Queen Pin. Deadline is July 25. US/Canada only.

Simply Stacie is giving away a copy of The Wholesome Junk Food Cookbook. Deadline is July 25. US/Canada only.

Simply Stacie is giving away 5 copies of Dangerous Desires. Deadline is July 25. US/Canada only.
Readaholic is giving away 3 copies of Backseat Saints. Deadline is July 25. US/Canada only.

Readaholic is giving away 5 copies of The Whisperers. Deadline is July 26. US/Canada only.
All Ruby Cakes is giving away 2 copies of The Disappearing Spoon. Deadline is July 26.

Library Girl Reads is giving away your choice of nine books (gently read). Deadline is July 26. US only.
Chick with Books is giving away 3 copies of Barely a Lady. Deadline is July 27. US/Canada only.

Readaholic is giving away a copy of A Wretched Man. Deadline is July 27. US only.
Yankee Romance Reviews is giving away 3 sets of the Rita Awards Nominees. Deadline is July 28. US/Canada only.
Readaholic is giving away 2 copies of Day by Day Armageddon Beyond Exile. Deadline is July 29. US only.
Simply Stacie is giving away 3 sets of six books each of Rita Awards Nominees. Deadline is July 30. US/Canada only.
A Sea of Books is giving away 3 sets of six books each of Rita Awards Nominees. Deadline is July 30. US/Canada only.

A Sea of Books is giving away 3 copies of Backseat Saints. Deadline is July 30. US/Canada only.
All About {n} is giving away 3 copies of April & Oliver. Deadline is July 31. US/Canada only.

Library Girl Reads is giving away $70 to CSN Stores. Deadline is July 31. US/Canada only.

Giveaways and More is giving away 3 sets of six books each of Rita Awards Nominees. Deadline is July 31. US/Canada only.

The Fiction Enthusiast is giving away 5 copies of Barely a Lady. Deadline is July 31. US/Canada only.

Wicked Good Books is giving away a copy of Twenty Boy Summer in celebration for her 1st blogiversary! Deadline is July 31. US/Canada only.

The Eclectic Reader is giving away your choice of four books. Deadline is July 31. International!

Reading with Tequila is giving away up to 4 gently read books. Deadline is July 31. US only.

Queen of Happy Endings is giving away your choice of three books. Deadline is July 31. International!
Readaholic is giving away 3 copies of April & Oliver. Deadline is July 31. US/Canada only.

Alison's Book Marks is giving away a copy of Linger. Deadline is July 31. US/Canada only.
A Journey of Books is giving away 5 copies of Barely a Lady. Deadline is August 1. US/Canada only.
Crazy for Books is giving away 3 copies of Hidden Wives. Deadline is August 1. International!

Lori's Reading Corner is giving away 2 copies of The Breaking of Eggs. Deadline is August 2. US/Canada only.

Crazy for Books is giving away Never Wave Goodbye. Deadline is August 2. US/Canada only.
Ellz Readz is giving 2 winners their choice of a book from the Book Depository. Deadline is August 2. International!
Jo-Jo Loves to Read is giving away up to 3 copies of an audiobook of Backseat Saints. Dealine is August 6. US/Canada only.

Butterfly Book Reviews is giving away a copy of Linger. Deadline is August 6. US/Canada only.
Pure Imagination is giving away 4 books in a summer celebration. Deadline is August 8. International!

Peeking Between the Pages is giving away a 5 book collection from Hatchette Book Group! Deadline is August 8. US/Canada only.
Just Jennifer Reading is giving away 3 copies of the audiobook Backseat Saints. Deadline is August 11. US/Canada only.
Bookin' with Bingo is giving away a 5 book collection from Hachette Book Group! Deadline is August 12. US/Canada only.
Libby's Library News is giving away 20 books! Deadline is August 16. US/Canada only.
A Journey of Books is giving away 2 copies of Cold Rock River. I can't find any deadline mentioned. US/Canada only.

*Courtesy Note: Please keep in mind the many, many hours of work that goes into me compiling this list each week. Please be courteous and thoughtful, and do not steal my text. Either recreate your own list, or link to this list and direct your readers here for giveaway information. Thank you so much for your consideration.

I Wanna...Earth Abides by George R. Stewart

Earth Abides by George R. Stewart

A disease of unparalleled destructive force has sprung up almost simultaneously in every corner of the globe, all but destroying the human race. One survivor, strangely immune to the effects of the epidemic, ventures forward to experience a world without man. What he ultimately discovers will prove far more astonishing than anything he'd either dreaded or hoped for.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Introducing...Under the Dome by Stephen King

Introducing books through the first chapter (or so):

From two thousand feet, where Claudette Sanders was taking a flying lesson, the town of Chester's Mill gleamed in the morning light like something freshly made and just set down. Cars trundled along Main Street, flashing up winks of sun. The steeple of the Congo Church looked sharp enough to pierce the unblemished sky. The sun raced along the surface of Prestile Stream as the Seneca V overflew it, both plane and water cutting the town on the same diagonal course.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

What's Releasing (07-14-09 edition)

Available the week of July 19:

Shadow Zone by Iris Johansen

Deep below the deceptively beautiful waters of the Atlantic Ocean, guarded by hundreds of dolphins, lie the astonishing remains of a mysterious lost city much like the legendary Atlantis.
While mapping the ancient underwater metropolis of Marinth, marine architect Hannah Bryson makes a shocking discovery: She may have finally uncovered the truth about the once-glorious city’s mysterious demise. Marinth’s sudden disappearance has confounded scientists for years, but now, with the revelation of a key artifact, Hannah realizes that the long-buried city’s explosive secret could have dire consequences for the modern-day world. But she isn’t the only one who realizes it. The artifact is hijacked, and Hannah stands alone between a power-hungry enemy and widespread destruction. Willing to form whatever alliance is necessary to regain control of this potentially world-changing weapon, Hannah joins forces with Nicholas Kirov, a loose cannon from her past who is now her best hope for survival. Together they will race to unravel Marinth’s last great secret in order to prevent a catastrophe of global proportions. And before the lethal game is over, Hannah will realize that nothing and no one is what she expected, not even the dolphins, who know so much more than anyone could imagine. Shadow Zone is fast-paced and cutting edge. Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen have raised the bar again in this blood-pumping thrill ride.


Storm Cycle by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen

SHE'D DO ANYTHING TO SAVE HER SISTER'S LIFE. . . .

Rachel Kirby is a computer genius whose personal life is falling apart. Even as she stands on the brink of a stunning technological breakthrough, her beloved younger sister is plagued by a rare chronic illness that will eventually kill her, leaving Rachel all alone.

SAVING HER SISTER’S LIFE HAS PUT HER OWN IN GRAVE DANGER. . . .

But thousands of miles away archaeologist/adventurer John Tavak has made a priceless discovery in an Egyptian tomb. A discovery, Rachel realizes, that humankind has been seeking throughout history – a secret that may save her sister’s life and many thousands more. But a powerful organization is also in white-hot pursuit, led by a man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

IF SHE COULD JUST GET HER HANDS ON THE CURE . . .

Against all odds, Rachel joins forces with the brilliant, enigmatic Tavak in an adventure that will take them across three continents, and it will take all of their wits, instincts, and cutting-edge technology to bring to light an ancient civilization’s most amazing legacy. And together they must race to unravel the explosive 4,500-year-old secret before it is lost to the ages.

With Johansen and Johansen’s trademark research, fast-paced action, and charismatic characters, Storm Cycle will blow you away. . . .


Also available this week: