Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday: THE IMMORTALITY VIRUS by Christine Amsden


"WAITING ON WEDNESDAY"
is hosted by Jill from

Join in and tell us . . .

What are you waiting for?

My pick for this week is . . .

a little different for me, but I like to shake things up. I read the first chapter and was hooked!



Description (from the author's website):
In the mid-21st century, the human race stopped aging. Those who know why aren’t talking, and the few who are brave enough to ask questions tend to disappear. To an elite few, The Change means long life and health, but to the increasing masses, it means starvation, desperation, and violence.

Four centuries after The Change, Grace Harper, a blacklisted P.I., sets off on a mission to find Jordan Lacklin, the man who might be responsible for it all. She and her employer, Matthew Stanton, want to enlist his help to restore the natural aging process, but there’s no guarantee Jordan is alive after all this time. To make matters worse, Matthew Stanton is suspected of murdering his father, and when the police find out she’s working for him they give her a choice – help them find the evidence they need to convict Matthew and have her named cleared, or die. But if they find out what Matthew has hired her to do, they’ll probably kill her anyway.

Grace has to duck warring factions in her search for the truth, ending up imprisoned as a slave on a farm while powerful enemies clash all around her. There she finds a new ally, Jordan’s grandson, Alex, and a shot at finding love again. At least, if the two of them survive.

Click here to read Chapter One.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Teaser Tuesdays: SECRET DAUGHTER by Shilpi Somaya Gowda


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by
Miz B. of  Should Be Reading.


"This is the quintessential garment for women across India, according to Asha's research, a six-yard rectangle of fabric wrapped and tucked around the body without a single button, hook, or zipper.  It can be draped in a number of ways, depending on the region, and one size is used to fit women tall and short, fat and thin.  It all sounded very democratic . . . "
-- Page 198

THE SECRET DAUGHTER
by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

Pub. Date: April 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Format: Paperback , 368pp
ISBN-13: 9780061928352
Edition Description: Reprint


Want to play along?  Here's what to do:
  • 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 and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday: THE DRY GRASS OF AUGUST by Anna Jean Mayhew


"WAITING ON WEDNESDAY"
is hosted by Jill from

Join in and tell us . . .

What are you waiting for?

My pick for this week is . . .



Pub. Date: April 2011
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Format: Paperback , 352pp
ISBN-13: 9780758254092
ISBN: 0758254091

Description (from the publisher):
In this beautifully written debut, Anna Jean Mayhew offers a riveting depiction of Southern life in the throes of segregation, what it will mean for a young girl on her way to adulthood--and for the woman who means the world to her. . .
 
On a scorching day in August 1954, thirteen-year-old Jubie Watts leaves Charlotte, North Carolina, with her family for a Florida vacation. Crammed into the Packard along with Jubie are her three siblings, her mother, and the family's black maid, Mary Luther. For as long as Jubie can remember, Mary has been there--cooking, cleaning, compensating for her father's rages and her mother's benign neglect, and loving Jubie unconditionally.

Bright and curious, Jubie takes note of the anti-integration signs they pass, and of the racial tension that builds as they journey further south. But she could never have predicted the shocking turn their trip will take. Now, in the wake of tragedy, Jubie must confront her parents' failings and limitations, decide where her own convictions lie, and make the tumultuous leap to independence. . .
 
Infused with the intensity of a changing time, here is a story of hope, heartbreak, and the love and courage that can transform us--from child to adult, from wounded to indomitable.

Click here to read an excerpt.

Click here to read an author interview.

About the author (from the publisher):
Anna Jean (A.J.) Mayhew, a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, has never lived outside the state, although she often travels to Europe with her Swiss-born husband. Much of A.J.’s work reflects her vivid memories of growing up in the segregated South. A.J. has been a member of the same writing group since 1987, is a writer-in-residence at The Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, and is a former member of the Board of Trustees of the North Carolina Writers' Network. The Dry Grass of August is her first novel.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Teaser Tuesdays: THE SANDALWOOD TREE by Elle Newmark


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by
Miz B. of  Should Be Reading.



"At first, the strange music sounded dissonant & grating, but the girl drew me in with her serious face & hypnotic dance; I became mesmerized by her serpentine movements & the whisper of whirling silk. That night I began to fall in love with India."

-- page 118
(Advanced Reading Copy)

THE SANDALWOOD TREE
by Elle Newmark

Pub. Date: April 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
Format: Hardcover , 368pp
ISBN-13: 9781416590590


Want to play along?  Here's what to do:
  • 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 and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Book Review and Giveaway: THE PORTABLE PEDIATRICIAN by William Sears, MD, et al.

CLOSED.
Thanks to the generous folks at
Hachette Book Group,
I have been authorized to
 give away one (1) copy

Rules for entering this giveaway
are at the bottom of this post.


by William Sears, MD; Martha Sears, RN; Robert Sears, MD
James Sears, MD; and Peter Sears, MD

Pub. Date: February 2011
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Format: Paperback , 592pp
ISBN-13: 9780316017480
ISBN: 0316017485

Description (from the publisher):
Imagine you are up at three o'clock in the morning with a sick child. Wouldn't it be nice to have expert advice readily at hand to help get you through the night? Encyclopedic in scope, THE PORTABLE PEDIATRICIAN features timely and practical information on every childhood illness and emergency, including when to call the doctor, what reassuring signs can help you know your child is okay, how to treat your child at home, and much more-all in a convenient A-to-Z format. Among the scores of topics covered:
 

teething; sprains and broken bones; nosebleeds; measles; ear infections; choking; rashes; colic; headaches; eating disorders; fever; hip pain; warts; allergies; obesity; seizures; Asperger's Syndrome; bronchitis; masturbation; sunburns; pneumonia; speech delay; lice; vomiting; asthma; heart defects; blisters; sleep problems; and more.
 
The Searses guide parents and caregivers from a child's infancy through the teen years, teaching them what to expect at regular checkups as well as how to boost a child's well-being, devise a family health plan, work effectively with their pediatrician, and more. Distinguished by the Searses' trademark comprehensiveness, reliability, and accessible, comforting one, this book is a must-have for all families who want to keep their children healthy and happy.


About the authors (from the publisher):
William Sears, MD, and Martha Sears, RN, are the pediatric experts on whom American parents increasingly rely for advice and information on all aspects of pregnancy, birth, childcare, and family nutrition. Dr. Sears has practiced pediatrics for more than 40 years, and is an associate clinical professor at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine. Martha Sears is a registered nurse and parenting and health consultant. Robert W. Sears, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician in private practice in southern California.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars - A Great Resource

My Thoughts:
What a terrific book! If you have kids or grandkids running around your house, you should have a copy of THE PORTABLE PEDIATRICIAN handy. Since I live with my young niece and nephew, I was really excited to have the opportunity to review this book, and not only was I not disappointed, I was much more impressed than I expected.

I really like how easy it is to use this volume. Even though the authors cover childhood health issues relevent from infancy through the teenage years, everything is easy to understand. The bulk of the book is a section called "Pediatric Concerns and Illnesses: A to Z." The conditions discussed range from major to minor and cover all sorts of routine concerns. With subheadings such as Symptoms; Causes; Treatment;When to Worry; What to Do and even What Not to Do and How Long Will It Last, it's easy to get useful and clear information. It's great having so much advice at my fingertips, and I've also found it interesting to sit down and just randomly read. 

I also like the sections on getting the most from checkups and office visits. Sometimes its difficult to talk to your child's doctor because your baby is fussy or your doctor seems rushed. I thought the discussion on how to prepare for an office visit and what to expect was really helpful. I especially liked that the section included the teen years and what sorts of questions to ask and discussions to have with your doctor when your child is older.

You might think that with the Internet, a book such THE PORTABLE PEDIATRICIAN would be obsolete these days, but think again. In the time it would take you to power up your computer, Google some symptoms, and wade through the results, you could have already referred to this book and evaluated your child's condition as well as decided whether you need a trip to the doctor, the drugstore, or maybe only the sofa! Not to mention that you could just sit back in a comfy chair and leaf through it and familiarize yourself with illnesses and conditions that may not yet be present but that you're likely to encounter down the line. Wouldn't you prefer to know ahead of time how to treat a black eye, bloody nose, or bee sting?


THE PORTABLE PEDIATRICIAN is a great resource that no family home should be without.

FTC Disclaimer: I recieved a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.  Honest!

RULES FOR ENTERING THE GIVEAWAY:

• Leave an original comment on this post telling me you would like to win. Include an email address with your comment so that I can contact you if you do win. Use a spam-thwarting format such as geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com or geebee.reads [at] gmail [dot] com

You must leave an email address in order to qualify. If I can't contact you, you can't win!

• You can earn an extra entry by being or becoming a Follower or Subscriber of this blog and telling me about it in a separate comment.

• Blog about this contest and provide me with the link to the post in a separate comment, and I'll give you yet another entry.

• Tweeting about this contest and providing me the link in a separate comment will get you one more entry. I've added a Retweet button at the bottom of every post.

• Stumble this blog, Digg it, or Technorati Fave it, whatever, and leave a separate comment for another entry.

• Winners must provide a U.S. or Canadian street address. Hachette is unable to deliver to P.O. Boxes.

• PLEASE NOTE: One win per household. If you win this title in another contest hosted at another blog, Hachette will only send one copy per household address.

Deadline for entry is 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, March 18, 2011.

• Winners will have 48 hours to respond to my email announcing that they have won; if I don't hear from a winner, I will draw another name.

• Winners are determined using the sequence generator at Random.org.

Thank you to Anna
at Hachette Book Group
for making this giveaway possible.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Waiting on Wednesday: THE DRAGON OF CRIPPLE CREEK by Troy Howell


"WAITING ON WEDNESDAY"
is hosted by Jill from

Join in and tell us . . .

What are you waiting for?

My pick for this week is . . .



Pub. Date: April 2011
Publisher: Amulet Books
Format: Hardcover , 400pp
Age Range: 8 to 12
ISBN-13: 9780810997134

Description (from the publisher):
When Kat and her father and brother visit the Mollie Kathleen, an old gold mine now open for tours by the busload, Kat gets lost from the group and falls down a shaft, where she discovers an awe-inspiring world of fantasy come to life. She meets an ancient dragon—the last of his kind—and discovers a secret about the gold that litters the creature's den and why dragons throughout time have hoarded the sparkling treasure. 
 
The dragon helps Kat escape the endless caverns, but not before Kat greedily takes a piece of gold for herself. Feeling guilty, Kat decides to return it, but before she can do this she drops it in front of a group of visitors, and a media frenzy ensues. Soon the mining town is filled with gold seekers. In order to save the dragon and his gold, Kat and her brother must venture back into the mine to warn him. But will they get there in time? 

This fast-paced, beautifully told modern fantasy tale by children's book illustrator Troy Howell will keep readers spellbound.

About the author (from the publisher):
Troy Howell has won an Educational Press Association of America Distinguished Achievement Award and New York and Los Angeles Society of Illustrators merit awards. His work has been named a Redbook Best Children's Book of the Year. This is his first novel. He lives in Falmouth, Virginia.

The Real Reason I Came to the Work Today



This man really delivers!


Here's what he brought me:




Pub. Date: November 2007
Publisher: Lark Books NC
Format: Paperback , 396pp
Series: 500 Series
ISBN-13: 9781579908676


illustrated by Troy Howell

Pub. Date: September 2000
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Format: Paperback , 352pp
Sales Rank: 429,040
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: Redwall Series , #1
ISBN-13: 9780399236297



Release Date: 01/18/2011
Label: ROUNDER / UMGD
UPC: 011661221529

Wordless Wednesday


Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Teaser Tuesdays: THE RAISING by Laura Kasischke


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by
Miz B. of  Should Be Reading.




"There's often an elegant rationality to even the strangest beliefs. But it doesn't make them real. Being based on fear, inspired by hope, they can be dangerous, Perry, and I think we're headed in that direction, and that we need to stop what we're doing now, before it leads to something--"

-- page 207
Pub. Date: March 2011
Format: Paperback , 496pp
Edition Description: Original

Want to play along?  Here's what to do:
  • 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 and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!