Thursday, December 22, 2011

REVIEW and GIVEAWAY: Say Not What If by Andrew Friedman

Synopsis

"Say Not What If" is a nearly 10,000 word story written as a long rhyming poem. I have never seen a story written in this format. It has characters and dialogue just like a regular story, and is extremely easy to read and understand, regardless of whether you have a GED or a PHD. You can read it in about an hour, so it doesn't require a lot of time.

“Say Not What If” is about a man on death row, and has as its theme the concept that time is our most valuable commodity. As someone once said, “waste anything but time, because we really are promised no tomorrows.” This theme is explored through the life of a man who sacrifices his marriage and everything else for his career. He realizes much too late the terrible consequences of this decision, and then desperately tries to regain those lost years by making a much worse choice. The resolution of this latter choice involves an additional examination of the concepts of accountability and responsibility, redemption, and the morality of the death penalty.
  • Paperback, 52 pages
  • Published July 11th 2011 by CreateSpace
  • ISBN 1463627319
About the Author
Author Andrew Friendman is an attorney, although he has no experience with the death penalty. He has written an essay as a follow-up to Say Not What If, intended to "provide some background information on the current state of this critically important issue."


My Thoughts
Say not "what if" or wonder why
About all the things you did not try.
Say not "what if" or be heard to sigh
With a trembling voice and a tear in your eye
"Why did I let time go by?"
Say Not What If is a poetic novel from the perspective of a man on death row looking back over his life.

This issue is very personal to me, since I have a friend on death row. My best friend for a time in my late teens (we even talked about getting a place together after I graduated high school), we fell apart after he married at about 19 years of age. Things went downhill for him over the next decade, and the next that I heard of him, he was being sought after for a triple homicide that occurred during a robbery. After going on the run, he was finally apprehended on the other side of the country, along with his accomplice.

During the investigation, evidence was found to connect him to the crime scene, but no definitive proof was ever discovered that could point at him as the killer (or the sole killer). There were two people perpetrating the crime, both pointing their finger at the other as the killer, and no proof of which one did it, or whether both were involved.

So one is offered a deal to turn on the other, in exchange for life in prison and no death penalty. The other (my friend) is found guilty and condemned to death. But did he do it? Or was it his accomplice? And if his accomplice and he were both involved, shouldn't they both get the same sentence?

So now I am counting the days, waiting for word that his time is up. I read years ago that the average stay of a death row inmate in Florida is 15 years. My friend has been on death row now for...13 years, I think? Something like that. I got to see him last summer, after testifying on his behalf at an appeals hearing. The judge was kind enough to allow us to meet and talk for about 15 minutes after court had adjourned, amazing the counsel, as it was very unusual for a judge to grant such a concession.

So this story kind of hit home for me, and I really understand on a personal level the inconsistencies in sentencing, the preferential treatment given to some and not others, the risks of executing an innocent person, at least "innocent" in regards to what they are being sentenced death for-- killing another human being-- if not innocent of other crimes.

This was an interesting way to relay an idea-- as an almost 10,000 word poem. Well-written and engaging the mind, it gets you thinking and asking yourself questions on the subject of the death penalty, however not as much as I would hope. The villain is very "villainous", not eliciting too much sympathy. There is no question that he committed his crime, and it was a truly heinous crime involving a small child. Many who read his story will feel he got exactly what he deserved.

Some of the biggest debates of the death penalty are those over the "unfairness" of it all-- the fact that poor black men are more likely to be sentenced to death than affluent white. The most frightening debate is over whether it should be allowed if there is any chance of an innocent being executed. This story won't really incite too many of those types of conversations.

At only 52 pages long, it is a pretty quick read. I'd recommend this to anyone interested in the death penalty debate. In fact, I am giving away my copy of Say Not What If to another reader to experience and review.

Rules (you knew there had to be some):
  • You must be 18 years or older
  • Open to US and Canada residents only
  • To enter, just comment below. Be sure to leave your email address in your comment, or have it visible in your profile.
  • Be a book reviewer that will review this book on your own blog and/or on sites like GoodReads, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Deadline is January 14, 2012

Please note that this book is being shipped by me, and will be shipped without insurance or tracking. Therefore I am at the mercy of the post office. So far no book that I've shipped has been lost by them, but I can make no guarantees!

Thanks to the author Andrew Friedman for giving me the opportunity to read his story.


My Rating: 8 out of 10 

Disclosure:

I received a copy of this book to review from the author, in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Teaser Tuesdays (12-20-11 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:

My victim lived at the end of the street
A girl of eight, so naive and sweet.
Always happy and eager to greet
As she ran around in just her feet.


-- Say Not What If by Andrew Friedman, page 12

Monday, December 19, 2011

2011 Challenge Recap

I did horribly on my challenges, per the usual. These challenges I don't expect to get any further with before the end of the year:

Foodie's Reading Challenge hosted by Joyfully Retired. I only read 2 out of 7 books planned.









2011 YA Reading Challenge hosted by For the Love of YA. I only made it through 4 of the 12 books planned.





Dystopia Challenge hosted by BA Reading Challenges. I only got through 1 of 5 of the books planned.







Off the Shelf challenge hosted by BA Reading Challenges. I made it through 10 of the 15 books desired.








New Authors challenge hosted by Literary Escapism. Close but no cigar! I made it through 22 of the planned 25 books.








Wish I'd Read That Challenge 2011 hosted by My Love Affair with Books. I made it through 4 of my 6 books.






Zombies: Satisfy Your Undying Hunger hosted by Book Soulmates. I only made it through 2 of the 10 books I'd hoped to get through.








Get Steampunked hosted by BA Reading Challenges. I didn't read any steampunk this year!





2011 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge hosted by The Book Vixen. The only challenge I completed, having read my 32 of 32. I expect to read another book or two before the end of the year, so I should exceed my goal.



For 2012, I am planning far fewer challenges, since I have proven repeatedly to do terrible at them! Thanks for the challenges!

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Book Giveaways in Blogworld (12-17-11 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:

Books: A True Story is giving away your choice out of six books that you can identify. Deadline is December 24. International!

For the love of books is giving away your choice out of four YA books. Deadline is December 31. International!

Peeking Between the Pages is giving away The Other Life. Deadline is December 31. US/Canada only.

Books Like Stars is having a massive "Debut Author" giveaway! US 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.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

REVIEW: First Love: Just Once in a Lifetime: A Memoir by Violeta Barrett

Synopsis

By 1956 Violeta Barrett had been working for a Wall Street investment firm more than a decade. Recently separated from her husband and feeling overworked, Violeta decided to vacation in Mexico. After her plane landed in Mexico City, a stranger with a deep, accented voice introduced himself as her tour guide. Violeta and Jorge had no idea they were about to begin a four-year romance that would endure the test of time and distance.

In her compelling memoir, Violeta shares a nostalgic and emotional journey where principles, love, and obligations collide and force unexpected decisions. Energized by the Mexican culture and Jorge's charm, Violeta is soon caught up in the joy of being loved. But before long she must return to her obligations, leaving Jorge behind. Through the more than seventy love letters she would receive from Jorge for the next few years, the two share a forbidden passion-until the forces of morality prevail.

Nearly fifty years ago, Violeta and Jorge fell in love, changing their lives forever. Their heartfelt story proves that true love is not affected by time. It is ageless. It is eternal.
  • ISBN-13: 9781450279932
  • Publisher: iUniverse, Incorporated
  • Publication date: 2/9/2011
  • Paperback, 224 pages
About the Author
from her website

Violeta Barrett, a Brooklyn transplant, moved from Canada to Ft. Myers, Florida, where she resides today, following her second husband's death. She has been published in the anthology Beyond Coping, and her poetry and writings have been printed in her local newspapers. Her passions are classical music, travel, photography, and, of course, love.

Visit her website
Read an article from our local newspaper
Learn more about the author


My Thoughts
Most women dream about finding love. Many do, but for many others, it remains a dream. I was one of the lucky ones, I thought. But love doesn't always come in a nice, neat package; it can truly be both agony and ecstasy. 
Location/Environment:

While the author lived in New York during much of the story, her love affair with Jorge took place in Mexico City and the surrounding area.


At around thirty years of age in 1956, Violeta had already been working for more than ten years at a Wall Street investment firm. During that time, she had also married, but separated from her husband after two years in an unconsummated marriage.

So it was at this point in her life that she decided she'd earned a vacation, and headed down to Mexico. As she steps off of the plane, she is greeted by a handsome Mexican tour guide by the name of Jorge. Over the next couple of weeks, Violeta and her tour companions are taxied around Mexico by Jorge, always charming and informative, if at times a little deceitful with his knowledge, making up what he doesn't know.
...Always eager to learn something new, I hung on to every word. Unlike the others, I didn't ask many questions until I became aware that some of his answers were suspiciously familiar. Out of earshot of the two women, I whispered to him, "Didn't you just use that term to refer to something else?"

He looked at me squarely and grinned. For a second I was puzzled but then I got it. I couldn't help grinning back.

"Why you trickster, you!" I stifled a laugh. "How do you know I won't snitch?"

"You won't do that, will you?" he replied. His eyes sparkled. "Tourists ask many detailed questions. They really don't care what the answer is, as long as you answer." (page 14)
I loved a scene relayed in the book of a time they were approaching a town, and as had become common, children surrounded the car, poor and beggarly, clamoring for money. Initially Violeta and her companions would give the children pesos, until Jorge pleaded with them to stop.
"Please don't make beggars of my people," he said.

Astonished, I asked, "What would you have us do, Jorge? Ignore them? They're children!"

Without faltering, he opened the car window and spoke to several of the boys in Spanish. They ran ahead of the car, clearing the way. Others shouted to their friends, who backed off. I soon realized he had put them to work, finding us a parking spot. One enterprising boy diligently polished the side view mirrors with the tail of his shirt, smiling broadly at us.

Jorge patted him lightly on the head. "Bueno," he said, then called out to the other boys, "Muy bien, muchachos." I learned a lesson that day I never forgot. (page 7)
I loved how, instead of giving out charity, he instilled worth in the children by having them work for what they received. It was payment for a job well done rather than charity.

As the days pass, and the group tours Mexico, Jorge and Violeta's feelings for one another grow. By the time that Violeta heads back to New York, both she and Jorge believe themselves to be in love.

The first 40-plus pages tell the story of their affair, while the other 150 or so pages are of Jorge's letter to Vy over the years, after she returns to New York.

This is one of those stories that is very personal, so it is hard to be critical at all. I am also inclined to feel sensitive towards the author and this story, given that she happens to be a local here in town. You tend to be protective of your own!

There isn't really much to be critical of as far as writing style and the like. The only really critical thing I have to say in that respect is that the timeline wasn't laid out very well, so I had a hard time envisioning how everything happened. I had to sort out her age, am still unclear on how long she was in Mexico, although I think it to be around 2 weeks, and feel that other things were left unclear as well. Like how she found out about Jorge's wife and when he had married. None of Jorge's letters ever mention his marriage, unless it was in one of the few letters not included in the book. Or perhaps he told her in one of their few phone calls over the years? I don't know. So I feel that bits of the story are missing, so I don't have a complete picture.

The love story was sweet, but unfortunately I'm a bit jaded and cautious where love is concerned, so I have to be skeptical of a love born from a brief encounter. I like to think it was genuine and sincere and full, but Jorge's letters smack a little of co-dependency to me. I felt suffocated by the clinginess of them much of the time. But given the way that their love has hung with Violeta all of these years, I have to trust that it was as deep and meaningful to them as a decades-long love affair.

My final word:
Sweet and lingering. If romance is your cup of tea, give this real-life one a try.

Purchase your own copy of First Love.

My Rating: 7.5 out of 10


Disclosure:

I received a copy of this book to review from the author, in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel.

Book Giveaways in Blogworld (12-11-11 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:
Stuck in Books is giving away $12 to Amazon or Book Depository. Deadline is December 13. International!
Cuzinlogic is giving away a $10 for Barnes and Noble or Book Depository. Deadline is December 13. International!
Review Broads is giving away 5 copies of The Drop. Deadline is December 15. US only.
Peeking Between the Pages is giving away Come Back to Me. Deadline is December 17. US/Canada only. 
Books: A True Story is giving away your choice out of six books that you can identify. Deadline is December 24. International!
For the love of books is giving away your choice out of four YA books. Deadline is December 31. International!
Peeking Between the Pages is giving away The Other Life. Deadline is December 31. US/Canada only.
Books Like Stars is having a massive "Debut Author" giveaway! US 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.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

WINNER: The Invisible Floating Bookshelf (Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop)

I'm a little slow with picking my winner, as it has been a bit crazy this week, but I've finally got my winner for an invisible floating bookshelf, in honor of the Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop. And the winner chosen by random.org is...


Entry #15  Mariah Overlock

Congratulations, Mariah! I will be emailing you to get your mailing address. There will be more giveaways coming up after the holidays, which I hope all of you enjoy with your family and friends. Stay tuned!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Teaser Tuesdays (12-06-11 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:

"Oh darling, please forgive me if I do wrong telling you this. I know I don't have the right to go as far as proposing to you. I'm just nobody, but if someday I get to be something and if you still love me, I'm going to beg you to be my wife."

-- First Love: Just Once in a Lifetime: A Memoir by Violeta Barrett (page 67)

Friday, December 2, 2011

GIVEAWAY: Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop 2011


You love books? You love the holidays? You love winning free stuff? Well, then you're in the right place! You've happened upon the Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop, hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy & I Am a Reader, Not a Writer.

There are 250+ blogs participating in this giveaway, and you can find the entire list here

For my part, I am giving away a large Invisible Floating Bookshelf:

I love these things! So far, I have two of them by my bed. I may add more to my office and living room in the future! I have a small one to hold books that I've committed to reviewing, and a large one that I have to hold those books that I am most eager to read "just for fun".

The large bookshelf holds up to 20 pounds. Just look at how many books I have on my large shelf!


Quite an impressive load for a single, thin metal shelf, huh?

However I should mention that the large bookshelf isn't really "invisible" like the smaller one is. The base of the bookshelf is so large that a book must be at least 10" wide for it to be capable of covering the base and hiding it. So I find that I have to set books on the shelf, meaning that the shelf is visible from underneath, and there is the potential that if someone bumped into the shelf, they could cause all of the books to fall off the shelf. This hasn't been an issue for me.

Want your own invisible floating bookshelf? Use the Rafflecopter widget below for your chance to win! Be a follower (either via GoogleConnect, Email, Facebook, or Networked Blogs), and get an extra entry. Good luck, and thanks for stopping by!