Giveaway: Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Hachette Book Group

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

Hachette Book Group
is generously sponsoring another great book giveaway!

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15th thru October 15th), Hachette Book Group has authorized me to give away to five lucky winners this wonderful collection of five books. That's right -- 5 winners will each receive a set of 5 books! How cool is that?

Just look at what you could win! Click on the book titles below for more information about each book.

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

Zumba® By Beto Perez , Maggie Greenwood-Robinson

Evenings at the Argentine Club By Julia Amante

Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz By Belinda Acosta

Tell Me Something True By Leila Cobo

Amigoland By Oscar Casares

RULES FOR ENTERING THE GIVEAWAY:

• Leave a 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.

• Deadline for entry is 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, October 9, 2009.

• 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.

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

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

BBAW 09 Day 3: Reading Meme

Day 3: Today’s it’s all about the creativity. We have this fabulous reading meme for you below and all you have to do? Pick ONE or answer them all in as few words as possible! Be creative, have fun, stand out! That’s all!

Do you snack while you read?
Peanut M&M's - but they never last as long as the book!

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
EGADS! I mean No -- but on both counts.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open?
M&M bags -- the empties!

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
Both.

Hard copy or audiobooks?
98% hard copy.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?
I only stop when I fall asleep.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away? Oxford English Dictionary. Compact edition (4x4x3).

What are you currently reading?
NO WIND TO BLAME by Georgette Heyer; DECONSTRUCTING SAMMY by Matt Birkbeck; VELVA JEAN LEARNS TO DRIVE by Jennifer Niven.

What is the last book you bought?
NOTHING BUT GHOSTS by Beth Kephart and CAPOTE by Gerald Clarke.

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can
you read more than one at a time?
See above.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?
In bed -- before I sleep, in the middle of the night, and in the morning when I first wake up. (Get your mind out of the gutter!)

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
I like both, but I like a series to end eventually.

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
TALLGRASS by Sandra Dallas; WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by Sara Gruen; Sharon Kay Penman, Lisa See, Peter Robinson, Ann Hood,

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)
As long as I can find them when I want them, I'm good.

Guest Post: Gwen Cooper, author of HOMER'S ODYSSEY

Today I am pleased to welcome Gwen Cooper, author of HOMER'S ODYSSEY, to A Sea of Books.










One of my favorite stories about my husband, who’s an editor at a film industry trade magazine, concerns the time he assigned a writer to review the third or fourth reissuing of the Titanic DVD. Since, by that time, everybody on the planet—or at least in the Western Hemisphere—had a working knowledge of what the film was about, Laurence (my husband) wanted the focus of the review to be on the DVD features and extras, with very little space devoted to a rehash of the film’s plot summary. He and the writer went back and forth about five times. The first time, the plot summary comprised 250 words of the review, the second time it was 225 words, and so on. Finally my husband, who was growing increasingly frustrated, told the writer, “Look—you can summarize any film in four lines. In fact, you can summarize any film in four words. Titanic: Ship hits iceberg. Semicolon. Sinks.”

It’s a fun game to play (“Wizard of Oz: Farmgirl leaves Kansas; adventures”), and as a writer I often feel that I should be equally able to summarize my own work in four words or less, so that when somebody asks me—in an interview, or over dinner at a friend’s birthday party—what my book is about, I should be able to say with confidence, “Homer’s Odyssey: Woman adopts cat. Semicolon. Learns.”

Fortunately, I’m armed with what is arguably the world’s longest subtitle (The full title of my book is Homer’s Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned About Love and Life With a Blind Wonder Cat), which is probably a better way of nutshelling the book than any I’d come up with on my own. Homer’s Odyssey is the story of how, when I was twenty-five years old, I adopted a blind kitten—whose eyes had to be surgically removed at three weeks of age in order to save his life—named him Homer for the blind Greek poet, and how over the next twelve years we became each other’s best friends, true believers, and companions in adventure. It’s a book with laughter, romance, suspense, drama, great feats of daring, and more than a few klutzy moments (more mine than the cat’s). It’s a book that begins with a break-up and ends with a wedding. It’s a book for people who love cats and the humans who love them.

The next question I’m usually asked is why I decided to write the book—and there the “four words and a semicolon” formula fails me entirely. Although I had always wanted to be a writer, and had published a novel about two years before Homer’s Odyssey came out, I had never considered writing his tale.
It amazes me now that, for years, I never thought about Homer as being the hero of his own story. I knew that he was extraordinary, I knew that everybody who ever met him was full of questions—wanting to know why and how. But he was also just my cat, the goofy little guy who jumped around in circles when I came home at night, who loved to chase around stuffed toys, insisted on getting his fair share of tuna if I was making a tuna sandwich, and curled up in a tight ball on my left knee whenever I sat at the computer to email friends or finish up work projects.

The idea of writing about Homer didn’t occur to me until Laurence met him for the first time and wanted to know (as most people do) how it was that Homer ended up blind. When I told him how Homer had been abandoned shortly after birth, how he’d been near death until he was brought in to my veterinarian, how the price of saving his life had been the loss of his vision, and how he’d still nearly met an inglorious end in an animal shelter because nobody wanted to adopt him until finally my vet called me—when he heard all that, Laurence’s response was, "He’s like Daredevil, like a comic book superhero. He has an origin story and everything."

Laurence was quite pleased with this analogy, and loved to expound upon it. When he observed that Homer was braver, faster, and more agile than my two sighted cats, or when he saw Homer leap five feet straight into the air to catch a buzzing fly in mid-flight, he would talk about Homer’s "superpowers." When I told him how Homer had once single-handedly chased off a burglar who broke into my apartment in the middle of the night, Laurence said, “You’re a storyteller—why don’t you tell some of these stories?”

So I guess the short answer to why I ended up writing this book would be something like, “Novelist with superhero cat marries writer with comic book fetish; writing about cats, love, and adventure ensues.”

I know it’s more than four words, but it’s the best I’ve got.

Click here to read an excerpt of Gwen's book, HOMER'S ODYSSEY.

Click here to visit Gwen's website.

Thank you to Cheryl at
Pump of Your Book Promotion
for organizing this tour.

Blog Tour and Spotlight on HOMER'S ODYSSEY by Gwen Cooper

HOMER'S ODYSSEY
By Gwen Cooper
Publisher: Dell Publishing
Pub. Date: August 2009
ISBN-13: 9780385343855
Sales Rank: 367
304pp

Synopsis (from the publisher):

Once in nine lives,something extraordinary happens...
The last thing Gwen Cooper wanted was another cat. She already had two, not to mention a phenomenally underpaying job and a recently broken heart. Then Gwen’s veterinarian called with a story about a three-week-old eyeless kitten who’d been abandoned. It was love at first sight.

Everyone warned that Homer would always be an “underachiever,” never as playful or independent as other cats. But the kitten nobody believed in quickly grew into a three-pound dynamo, a tiny daredevil with a giant heart who eagerly made friends with every human who crossed his path. Homer scaled seven-foot bookcases with ease and leapt five feet into the air to catch flies in mid-buzz. He survived being trapped alone for days after 9/11 in an apartment near the World Trade Center, and even saved Gwen’s life when he chased off an intruder who broke into their home in the middle of the night.

But it was Homer’s unswerving loyalty, his infinite capacity for love, and his joy in the face of all obstacles that inspired Gwen daily and transformed her life. And by the time she met the man she would marry, she realized Homer had taught her the most important lesson of all: Love isn’t something you see with your eyes.

Homer’s Odyssey is the once-in-a-lifetime story of an extraordinary cat and his human companion. It celebrates the refusal to accept limits—on love, ability, or hope against overwhelming odds. By turns jubilant and moving, it’s a memoir for anybody who’s ever fallen completely and helplessly in love with a pet.

Click here to read an excerpt.

Click here to visit the author's website.

Biography

Gwen Cooper is the author of the novel Diary of a South Beach Party Girl. A Miami native, she spent five years working in nonprofit administration, marketing, and fundraising. She coordinated volunteer activities on behalf of organizations including Pet Rescue, the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind, the Miami Rescue Mission, and His House Children’s Home, and initiated Reading Pen Pals, an elementary school-based literacy program in Miami’s Little Haiti.

BBAW 09 Day 1: Favorite Blogs That Didn't Make the Shortlist

BBAW 09—Celebrate Books (Daily Blogging Topics)

Each day this week, bloggers will be talking about different topics on their blogs:

Monday, September 14th - Favorite blogs not nominated

Tuesday, September 15th - Blogger interviews

Wednesday, September 16th - Reading Meme

Thursday, September 17th - Blog about a book you found on another blog

Friday, September 18th - Blog about your goals for you book blog

Day 1: Thank and spotlight your favorite blogs that didn’t make the shortlists

Here is a list of some of the blogs I visit most frequently. I hated even starting to make a list such as this because, as we all know, the list would go on and on, and I would still likely leave out some blogs I love (and that's why we have things like Google Reader!) But the point of today's BBAW assignment is to spotlight blogs and bloggers, so I must name names. Here are people and places I visit just about daily for fun, inspiration, support, conversation, information, and (I almost forgot) book recommendations, among other things. If you are unfamiliar with any, drop on by and check them out.

At Home with Books (Alyce)

Bermudaonion's Weblog (Kathy)

A Circle of Books (Toni)

Brimful Curiosities (Janelle)

Diary of an Eccentric (Anna)

Enroute to Life (Kelly)

Write for a Reader (Shelly)

Cafe of Dreams (April)

The Burton Review (Marie)

Marjolein Reviews (Marjolein)

Passages to the Past (Amy)

Bibliophile By the Sea (Diane)

A Girl Walks into a Bookstore (Katherine)

Reading in Appalachia (Icedream)

Book Chatter and Other Stuff (Ti)

Peaking Between the Pages (Dar)

Wrighty's Reads (Debbie)

The Tome Traveller's Weblog (Carey)

Lost in Books (Rebecca)

So Many Precious Books (Teddy Rose)

Tanzanite's Shelf and Stuff (Daphne)

Thank you, ladies!
(I didn't realize my list was so femininely slanted until I plugged in each blogger's name. Ooops!)

WINNER!: Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

WE HAVE A WINNER!

CONGRATULATIONS!

hauntingordchid

is the winner of a copy of
CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER
by Michelle Moran

Thank you to all who entered the contest.

Click here to visit Michelle Moran's website for more information about Michelle's books and other ongoing contests.

The Sunday Salon: Touching Base September 13, 2009

Happy Sunday, Everyone!

I'm touching base because I've been a bit incommunicado the last few weeks. I've had some exceptional family obligations which have consumed most of my time and also been battling a case of serious head and chest congestion. Basically, I'm pretty run down right now. I've tried to keep up with moderating comments, but haven't been able to visit other blogs and leave comments. I'm hoping to catch up with all of you this week.

I must apologize profusely to Ru Freeman and TLC Book Tours -- I missed not one, but TWO scheduled dates for the blog tour of A DISOBEDIENT GIRL. The first date I simply overlooked because my time was so overbooked. The second date I missed because I unexpectedly continued to be overwhelmed and then sick on top of it all. However, let it be known that A DISOBEDIENT GIRL is an incredibly good read, one of the best books I've read this year, and I will post my review this week.

I've done some reading this week but not too much. I'm continuing to read and enjoy VELVA JEAN LEARNS TO DRIVE by Jennifer Niven. I picked up a copy of OLD YELLER by Fred Gipson from the library. This was a favorite movie of mine as a child, and it was fun to revisit the story. And I sped through PIPER REED, NAVY BRAT by Kimberly Willis Holt for the Middle Grade Reading Challenge. It was cute and fun, and my sister and I will be reading it in the evenings to my 6-year-old niece over the next little while.

I don't know yet what I'll settle into reading this week. I continue to have far more choices than time. If I can just get the doctor to prescribe bed rest . . .

Waiting on Wednesday: ALL MY ENEMIES by Barry Maitland

"WAITING ON WEDNESDAY"
is hosted by Jill from
Breaking the Spine.
Join in and tell us . . .

What are you waiting for?


It may look like I only have a few days to wait for this one, but I've actually been waiting for close to three years! I stumbled across the Brock and Kolla mystery series a few years ago and decided I would begin reading at, you guessed it, the beginning. I was able to find used copies of the first 2 books, and was loving the series, but the third volume was nowhere to be found. Even the one library in Colorado that listed it no longer had a copy on its shelves. I did find a few copies on EBay starting at about $100. Because of it's unavailability, and the fact that it's supposed to be one of the best of the series, ALL MY ENEMIES became a collector's item. I decided I couldn't continue the series without it and sat back to wait and hope for a re-issue. So now I say, whooo hooo! Bring on those enemies! I'm more than ready!

ALL MY ENEMIES
by Barry Maitland

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pub. Date: September 15, 2009
ISBN-13: 9780312384005
Sales Rank: 103,297
304pp
Series: Brock and Kolla Mysteries Series

Synopsis (from the publisher):
In one of the finest and most pivotal books in this critically acclaimed series, never before published in the U.S., D.S. Kathy Kolla reports to New Scotland Yard and to D.C.I. David Brock's Serious Crime Division.

Just before Kolla is to start her new job, a young woman is found viscously murdered in a leafy, well-heeled suburb, and the grotesque details of the slaughter appear to be well-rehearsed, even theatrical. Assigned to the case, Kolla's only improbable lead draws her to a local amateur drama group. Once in their orbit, she is lured into a piece of theatre over which, increasingly, she has little control. In All My Enemies, Brock and Kolla find themselves in a tangled web of deceptions in a case wherein a corpus of plays becomes a template for murder.

About the Author:
Barry Maitland is the author of several previous novels featuring D.C.I David Brock and Det. Sgt. Kathy Kolla, most recently Spider Trap. Born in Scotland and raised in London, Maitland lives in Australia. He's been a finalist for the Barry Award, the John Creasey Award, and is a winner of the Ned Kelley Award.

Click here to read an excerpt.

Click here to visit the author's website.

Giveaway: CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER by Michelle Moran

I am thrilled to be hosting a giveaway for one (1) hardcover copy of Michelle Moran's CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER as well as an ancient Roman coin complete with certificate of authenticity.

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

CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER
by Michelle Moran

Release date: September 15, 2009

Random House, Crown Publishers
ISBN-10: 0307409120
ISBN-13: 978-0307409126
Hardcover
430 pages

Synopsis (from the publisher):
The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s revengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome; only two– the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander–survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts.

The fateful tale of Selene and Alexander is brought brilliantly to life in Cleopatra’s Daughter. Recounted in Selene’s youthful and engaging voice, it introduces a compelling cast of historical characters: Octavia, the emperor Octavian’s kind and compassionate sister, abandoned by Marc Antony for Cleopatra; Livia, Octavian's bitter and jealous wife; Marcellus, Octavian’s handsome, flirtatious nephew and heir apparent; Tiberius, Livia’s sardonic son and Marcellus’s great rival for power; and Juba, Octavian’s watchful aide, whose honored position at court has far-reaching effects on the lives of the young Egyptian royals.

Selene’s narrative is animated by the concerns of a young girl in any time and place–the possibility of finding love, the pullof friendship and family, and the pursuit of her unique interests and talents. While coping with the loss of both her family and her ancestral kingdom, Selene must find a path around the dangers of a foreign land. Her accounts of life in Rome are filled with historical details that vividly capture both the glories and horrors of the times. She dines with the empire’s most illustrious poets and politicians, witnesses the creation of the Pantheon, and navigates the colorful, crowded marketplaces of the city where Roman-style justice is meted out with merciless authority.

Based on meticulous research, Cleopatra’s Daughter is a fascinating portrait of imperial Rome and of the people and events of this glorious and most tumultuous period in human history. Emerging from the shadows of the past, Selene, a young woman of irresistible charm and preternatural intelligence, will capture your heart.

Biography
MICHELLE MORAN is the author of the bestselling Nefertiti and The Heretic Queen. Her experiences at archaeological sites around the world motivated her to write historical fiction and continue to provide inspiration for her novels. For more information, visit the author's blog at michellemoran.blogspot.com

Visit CleopatrasDaughter.com for more historical background, maps, and lots of other information.

Michelle is running several more contests directly from her website. Visit her contest page to enter.

RULES FOR ENTERING THE GIVEAWAY:

• Leave a 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.

• This contest is open to U.S. residents only.

• Deadline for entry is 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, September 13, 2009.

• The winner will have 24 hours to respond to my email announcing that they have won; if I don't hear from the winner, I will draw another name.

Thank you to Michelle Moran
for making this giveaway possible.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

Giveaway: THE SMART ONE AND THE PRETTY ONE by Claire LaZebnik

Thanks to the generosity of the great folks
at Hachette Book Group,
A Sea of Books is hosting a giveaway for five (5!) copies of THE SMART ONE AND THE PRETTY ONE
by Claire LaZebnik.

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

THE SMART ONE and THE PRETTY ONE
by Claire LaZebnik

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Pub. Date: September 2008
ISBN-13: 9780446582063
Sales Rank: 140,490
294pp

Description (from the publisher):
"This sparkling novel about two sisters is both witty and stylish. Even if you don't have a sister of your own, you won't be able to resist LaZebnik's charming take on modern relationships. Read it!" - Holly Peterson, bestselling author of The Manny
When Ava Nickerson was a child, her mother jokingly betrothed her to a friend's son, and the contract the parents made has stayed safely buried for years. Now that still-single Ava is closing in on thirty, no one even remembers she was once "engaged" to the Markowitz boy. But when their mother is diagnosed with cancer, Ava's prodigal little sister Lauren comes home to Los Angeles where she stumbles across the decades-old document.
Frustrated and embarrassed by Ava's constant lectures about financial responsibility (all because she's in a little debt. Okay, a lot of debt), Lauren decides to do some sisterly interfering of her own and tracks down her sister's childhood fiancé. When she finds him, the highly inappropriate, twice-divorced, but incredibly charming Russell Markowitz is all too happy to re-enter the Nickerson sisters' lives, and always-accountable Ava is forced to consider just how binding a contract really is...
Click here to READ AN EXCERPT.
Click here to peek at the READING GROUP GUIDE.
Click here to read an ARTICLE ON WRITING BY THE AUTHOR.
Click here to VISIT THE AUTHOR'S WEBSITE.

RULES FOR ENTERING THE GIVEAWAY:

• Leave a 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.
• Deadline for entry is 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, September 25, 2009.
• 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.

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

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

Book Review #18: TOO TOO MANY TUTUS by Suzanne Davis Marion; illustrated by Marj Hales

TOO TOO MANY TUTUS
by Suzanne Davis Marion
Illustrated by Marj Hales

BookSurge Publishing (Feb 2009)
978-1439218471
Picture Book
32 Pages

Synopsis (from Amazon):
Christina has a problem. Her ballet class is coming up, and she must decide which one of her many tutus to wear. She lays them all carefully on her bed to help her decide. The decision is difficult, because the colors are each so vibrant and lovely. She imagines herself inspired to dance in a unique and special way in each tutu, with each color evoking its own particular imagery. In her blue tutu she could dance by the sea, with the birds and fishes joining in. In her green tutu she could do a forest dance among the trees, and in the meadows. Her orange tutu creates images of a joyous dance in the firelight at sunset. There are other colors too, each suggesting its own special mood. At last she receives some wise counsel in solving her dilemma, and helping her to make the correct choice.

My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

My Thoughts:

Everyone knows it can be difficult for a small child to make a choice from too, too many options. With the time for ballet class fast approaching, little Christina must select just the right tutu from the colorful plethora hanging in her closet. TOO TOO MANY TUTUS is the sweet and charming story of how she makes her choice.

Christina asks both her mother and father for advice, but it is her older brother, Max, who suggests that she lay each tutu out on her bed so she can see and consider all of the colors. This is the core of the story. One by one, Christina imagines herself dancing in celebration of each color:

"If I wore my pink tutu I could dance among the roses. Maybe someone would see me dancing and think I was one of the roses, blowing in the breeze. That would be too too much fun."

Eventually, a quick lesson in color theory leads Christina to make the most perfect choice.

My young niece really enjoys this story, and we've read it many times. The watercolor illustrations beautifully express a child's imagination. Like most children, Christina sometimes sees herself as an older girl, and I thought that was a nice touch. Watercolor is the perfect medium for this story because the colors are vibrant yet dreamy at the same time. It was also particularly nice that the joy of each color is expressed through elements of the natural world - trees and flowers, sunshine and water. There are no gumdrops or frosted cupcakes associated with Christina's sweet tutus. I also liked that it was her big brother, Max, who offered Christina the advice of how to compare all the various tutus.

The one place I stumbled in my enjoyment of this book was in the depiction of the orange tutu. Christina imagines herself dancing around a big blazing fire, and that imagery made me uncomfortable. No one else I asked seemed concerned about it, though, and I checked with several parents. The page didn't stand out with my own niece. I suppose in the spirit of full disclosure, I should mention that I was burned while playing near a trash fire when I was Christina's age. The page may not impact most children or adults, but I believe that a little more thought could have linked the color orange to desert sunsets, butterflies, exotic birds, tiger lillies, goldfish, even pumpkins.

Overall, TOO TOO MANY TUTUS is a sweet and lovely book that most parents and tiny dancers will love.

"If I wore the blue tutu I could whirl and twirl under the bright blue sky. I could dance on the beach beside the blue sea, and all the fish and sea birds could watch me dance."

About the Author (from Amazon):
Author Suzanne Davis Marion grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and has lived in Houston, Texas for many years. She is a singer, pianist, and composer. Several years ago she established Lullabies by Suzanne (www.lullabiesbysuzanne.com), offering personalized lullabies and play songs for babies and children. She enjoys performing with other musicians on a regular basis. She and her husband Stuart enjoy visits with their three sons and daughters-in-law, and their seven grandchildren. The latter provide endless inspiration for stories.

Houston artist Marj Hales is originally from North Dakota. She received a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting from the University of Oklahoma. Happy watercolors of bright florals and whimsical animals are among her favorite subjects, reflecting an inner joy that she hopes to communicate to others.

Thank you to the author for supplying me with my review copy.

Middle Grade Reading Challenge

I've joined the MIDDLE GRADE BOOK CHALLENGE hosted by Linda Ellen at Bambi Reads. I haven't been very successful completing challenges, but I am ever hopeful. This one just might be "The One." My intention is to read 25 Middle Grade books and post reviews over the next year. (O.K. I have a little less than a year since the challenge ends August 31, 2010.) We hit the library this morning, and I picked up my first book, CATMAGIC by Holly Webb.
There's two things I'd like to accomplish with this challenge. First, of course, I want to scope out books for my niece who is 6 and my nephew who is 9. "E" isn't ready for middle grade books yet, but sometimes she likes them read to her at night. After a really strong start, "J" is becoming a reluctant reader, so finding books that will capture and hold his attention is an ongoing challenge itself! Secondly, I've read quite a few books this year that have been heavy, dark, and depressing, and I'd like to provide myself with a string of counterpoints.

Guidelines for the Middle Grade Book Challenge

1. Anyone can join.

2. Read 12 middle grade novels (Challenge 1) or read 25 MG books (Challenge 2). You can read comics too, or listen to audio books. These can be in any language. You don't have to make a reading list now; you may select them as you go and you're free to make changes to your list.

3. The challenge begins September 1st, 2009 through August 31st, 2010.

4. You can join anytime between now and August 31st, 2010.
For more information and to join in, hop on over to Bambi Reads.

Books Read:

1. Kidnap at the Catfish Cafe by Patricia Reilly Giff
2. The Moon Lady by Amy Tan
3.
4.
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ABC Meme

I have been tagged by Cathy at One eyed stuffed bunny . It's a fun one!

Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Share your ABC’s.
3. Tag three people at the end by linking to their blogs.
4. Let the three tagged people know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
5. Do not tag the same person repeatedly but try to tag different people, so there is a big network of bloggers doing this tag.

Available or single? Single and unavailable

Best Friend? My sister

Cake or Pie? Pie, to everyone's surprise

Drink of choice? Diet Coke

Essential item for every day use? Diet Coke

Favorite color? Robin's egg blue

Google? Gurgle. I mean, yes.

Hometown? Cumberland, Rhode Island

Indulgences? Craft magazines, chocolate chip muffins

January or February? February - the sky is bluer and brighter

Kids and their names? As yet to be determined, but I call my niece and nephews "Hey you" and "Little brats" and when my niece is a dog, we call her "Fetcho"

Life is incomplete without…? Diet Coke

Marriage date? In the paranormal future

Number of siblings? 5 - 4 sisters, 1 brother

Oranges or apples? Apples, Royal Gala, Organic

Phobias and fears? That today is my last day

Quote for the day?

"Sometimes the light's all shining on me
Other times I can barely see . . ."
Truckin' by the Grateful Dead

Reason to smile? Diet Coke

Season? I love them all!

Tag 3 people?

Tina @ Tutu's Two Cents
Shawn @ Maymay's Memos
Liviania @ In Bed with Books

And anyone else who would like to play!

Unknown fact about me? I thought I wasn't "smart enough" to become a librarian

Vegetable you hate? Eggplant

Worst habit? Diet Coke

X-rays you’ve had? Chest, Dental, Feet

Your fave food? Currently, Carmella's Pizza (with Diet Coke)

Zodiac sign? Gemini

Friday Finds: Author Adeline Yen Mah

FRIDAY FINDS is hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading.

What great books did you hear about / discover this past week? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!

I found this first title at MarjoleinBookBlog. I was so intrigued, I had to find out more about Adeline Yen Mah. She has a very interesting website you can visit by clicking here. I like that some of these books are geared toward young adults, so parent and child can explore this author's work together.

Also, if you are participating in the recently launched China Challenge hosted by Jennie at Biblio File, you might want to consider one or two of these titles.

FALLING LEAVES: The True Story of an Unwanted Chinese Daughterby Adeline Yen Mah

Publisher: Bantam Books
Pub. Date: April 1999
ISBN-13: 9780767903578
Sales Rank: 17,093
304pp
Synopsis (from Barnes & Noble): Born in 1937 in a port city a thousand miles north of Shanghai, Adeline Yen Mah was the youngest child of an affluent Chinese family who enjoyed rare privileges during a time of political and cultural upheaval. But wealth and position could not shield Adeline from a childhood of appalling emotional abuse at the hands of a cruel and manipulative Eurasian stepmother. Determined to survive through her enduring faith in family unity, Adeline struggled for independence as she moved from Hong Kong to England and eventually to the United States to become a physician and writer. A compelling, painful, and ultimately triumphant story of a girl's journey into adulthood, Adeline's story is a testament to the most basic of human needs: acceptance, love, and understanding. With a powerful voice that speaks of the harsh realities of growing up female in a family and society that kept girls in emotional chains, Falling Leaves is a work of heartfelt intimacy and a rare authentic portrait of twentieth-century China.

CHINESE CINDERELLA
by Adeline Yen Mah

Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Pub. Date: March 2001
ISBN-13: 9780440228653
Sales Rank: 4,533
Age Range: Young Adult
224pp

Synopsis (from Barnes & Noble): A riveting memoir of a girl's painful coming-of-age in a wealthy Chinese family during the 1940s. A Chinese proverb says, "Falling leaves return to their roots." In Chinese Cinderella, Adeline Yen Mah returns to her roots to tell the story of her painful childhood and her ultimate triumph and courage in the face of despair. Adeline's affluent, powerful family considers her bad luck after her mother dies giving birth to her. Life does not get any easier when her father remarries. She and her siblings are subjected to the disdain of her stepmother, while her stepbrother and stepsister are spoiled. Although Adeline wins prizes at school, they are not enough to compensate for what she really yearns for — the love and understanding of her family. Following the success of the critically acclaimed adult bestseller Falling Leaves, this memoir is a moving telling of the classic Cinderella story, with Adeline Yen Mah providing her own courageous voice.
CHINESE CINDERELLA and THE SECRET DRAGON SOCIETYby Adeline Yen Mah

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pub. Date: November 2006
ISBN-13: 9780060567361
Sales Rank: 74,633
Age Range: 12 and up256pp
Synopsis (from Barnes & Noble):" The future belongs to you. Should anyone insult you, tell yourself this: I am a child of destiny who will unite East and West and change the world."

After enduring abuse at the hands of her cruel stepmother, Chinese Cinderella (CC) seeks refuge at a martial-arts school and joins a secret dragon society.

Under the guidance of Grandma Wu, CC is introduced to the exciting world of espionage as a part of the Chinese Resistance movement. And when CC and her new comrades take on a daring mission to rescue a crew of WWII American airmen, they prove that true bravery knows no age barrier

.
CHINA: Land of Dragons and Emporers
by Adeline Yen Mah

Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Pub. Date: June 2009
ISBN-13: 9780385737487

Sales Rank: 54,368
Age Range: Young Adult256pp

Synopsis (from Barnes & Noble): A fascinating book about the history and culture of China. The history of China spans thousands of years. Journey through China in this fascinating and absorbing book: discover the land of dragons and emperors, and learn about the significance of its ancient dynasties. Countless tools and materials that people have used every day for centuries—paper, gunpowder, cast iron, matches, and silk, to name just a few—were first made in China. Chinese society has progressed through major changes, but lucky numbers, festivals, beliefs about colors, the practic of footbinding, the building of the Great Wall, and the larger-than-life people of China are all integral parts of this ancient civilization and still have an impact on life today. Bestselling author Adeline Yen Mah explores an extraordinary view of the great story of China over the last two millennia in this nonfiction work, which also includes black-and-white photographs.
A THOUSAND PIECES OF GOLD
by Adeline Yen Mah

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pub. Date: August 2003
ISBN-13: 9780060006419
Sales Rank: 296,190
272pp

Synopsis (from Barnes & Noble): In this poignant memoir the New York Times bestselling author of Falling Leaves, Adeline Yen Mah, provides a fascinating window into the history and cultural soul of China. Combining personal reflections, rich historical insights, and proverbs handed down to her by her grandfather, Yen Mah shares the wealth of Chinese civilization with Western readers. Exploring the history behind the proverbs, she delves into the lives of the first and second emperors and the two rebel warriors who changed the course of Chinese life, adding stories from her own life to beautifully illustrate their relevance and influence today.

Guest Post: Shobhan Bantwal, author of THE SARI SHOP WIDOW

Today it is an honor and privilege to welcome Shobhan Bantwal, author of THE SARI SHOP WIDOW to A Sea of Books. This book was one of my most favorite and enjoyable reads of 2009 and is destined for my all-time favorites Hall of Fame. You can read a synopsis of the story and my review here. There's also an book excerpt at the bottom of this post.

THE SARI SHOP WIDOW

By Shobhan Bantwal

Set on the streets of Edison, New Jersey’s Little India, this is the story of a young businesswoman who rediscovers the magic of love, family, and her Hindu traditions as she fights to save her failing sari boutique. This is “Bollywood in a Book.”

Why did I make the backdrop for The Sari Shop Widow an upscale fashion boutique? I have always been fascinated by the intricacies of owning an ethnic fashion business in the heart of America. Living in New Jersey, I am a frequent visitor and shopper at Little India, a quaint enclave of clothing and jewelry shops, posh restaurants as well as fast food eateries, video and music stores, and grocery markets. Stepping into a community like that is like experiencing a delicious slice of India.

It made a lot of sense for me to make my protagonist, Anjali Kapadia, a strong-willed and talented fashion designer of ethnic clothing struggling to succeed in the growing and highly competitive world of fashion design and merchandising.

How does a storeowner like Anjali make her boutique stand out in sea of similar businesses? First she gives it a distinctive name like Silk & Sapphires. Then she dresses it up to fit the name, a classy storehouse of delightfully lush silk saris, slinky outfits, beaded, sequined, embroidered, and trimmed with gold and silver thread, rare jewelry studded with gems from India, and an atmosphere of cool elegance fit for a Maharani, an empress.

When Anjali realizes her beloved boutique is in financial trouble, she is naturally upset and desperate to save it. But how far is she willing to go to salvage what she considers her most precious asset next to her family? The Sari Shop Widow is how Anjali goes about the business of saving Silk & Sapphires. Little does she know what her karma has in store as she fights a valiant battle to keep what is hers.

For a preview, see the book trailer at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9uRlbkxxes

Enter a drawing for a chance to win a costume jewelry set or one of five autographed copies of THE SARI SHOP WIDOW between Sept 1 and Sept 30, 2009 by signing up on the “Contests” page of my website: http://www.shobhanbantwal.com/

BOOK EXCERPT:

THE SARI SHOP WIDOW

By Shobhan Bantwal

Chapter 1

For the second time in ten years her life was beginning to come apart. Anjali Kapadia stood still for a minute, trying to absorb the news. Could it possibly be a mistake? But it wasn’t; she’d heard it clearly. Despite her best efforts to curb it, the initial shock wave refused to ebb. The seemingly harmless bit of information was all it had taken to shatter the image of a satisfying lifestyle and career.

Her mind in overdrive, she started to pace the length of the tasteful and elegant boutique. Her boutique—her baby—her artistic and inventive skills put to optimum use in creating a fairytale store worthy of movie stars, models, and beauty queens.

Technically the business belonged to her and her parents as equal partners, but it was Anjali’s creativity and vision that had turned it into a classy and successful enterprise—at least until recently. It stood apart like a maharani, a queen amongst the ordinary, plain-vanilla sari and clothing shops of New Jersey’s “Little India.”

The area known as Little India, located in Edison, was crammed with sari shops, jewelry stores, restaurants, grocery markets and souvenir shops. It was a small slice of India buried in central New Jersey, a quaint neighborhood that smelled of pungent curry, fried onions, ripe mangoes, incense, and masala chai. Strong tea laced with spices and oodles of thick, creamy milk.

Even the store’s name was Anjali’s brainstorm. Overrun with ho-hum and even dumpy names and ugly storefronts, Little India was badly in need of some class. So she’d called her store Silk & Sapphires. It had a nice ring to it, and according to Hindu astrology, a sapphire supposedly dispelled the destructive influence of the fiery planet Shanee. Saturn. The store’s window displayed the most elegant mannequins and rare jewelry to give it a boutique flavor rather than just a sari-cum-bauble shop.

The interior was done in soft cream and shimmering blue to fit the name. Tear-drop crystal chandeliers hung from a vaulted ceiling. Strategically placed recessed lights highlighted the displays, mirrored walls created the illusion of space and light, and dense cream carpeting covered the sales floor and fitting rooms. Only soft instrumental music by both Indian and other masters was piped in through the sound system.

Shopping at Silk & Sapphires was meant to be a unique and indulgent experience.

Nearly every piece of clothing the store sold was designed by Anjali, each outfit envisioned, then meticulously planned, cut, sewn, and embellished to her demanding specifications. Every design was exclusive.

She glanced at them and exhaled a long sigh. The colorful silks, the clingy chiffons, and the gossamer tissue-crepes were draped in an exquisite array on their pretty satin hangers—row upon row of lush, costly clothes. The pearls, the rainbow of beads, and the jewel-tone sequins sparkled and winked at her as she strode up and down the aisles, again and again.

What had gone wrong? How? When?

Order Your Copy at Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Sari-Shop-Widow-Shobhan-Bantwal/dp/0758232020

For more information on Shobhan Bantwal's new and other books and to enter a drawing to win a number of prizes, please go to her website's “Contests” page and sign up between Sept 1 and Sept 30, 2009 at http://www.shobhanbantwal.com/

Full September Virtual Tour Details - http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2009/07/sari-shop-widow-by-shobhan-bantwal.html

Thank you to Nikki Leigh and Promo 101 Virtual Blog Tours
for organizing this tour
and for providing me with my review copy of THE SARI SHOP WIDOW.

Blog Tour and Book Review #17: SARI SHOP WIDOW by Shobhan Bantwal

THE SARI SHOP WIDOW

by Shobhan Bantwal

Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Pub. Date: September 2009
ISBN-13: 9780758232021
Sales Rank: 97,288
352pp

About The Sari Shop WidowPungent curry, sweet fried onions, incense, colorful beads, and lush fabrics - THE SARI SHOP WIDOW is a novel set on the streets of Edison, New Jersey's Little India, where a young businesswoman rediscovers the magic of love and family. When Anjali Kapadia's posh sari boutique in New Jersey is on the verge of financial ruin, her wealthy uncle from India comes to her rescue.But the wily, dictatorial uncle arrives with some unpleasant surprises--a young Indo-British partner named Rishi Shah for one--and a startling secret that disturbs Anjali.

Falling in love with the mysterious Shah only adds to Anjali's burgeoning list of complications. Torn between her loyalty to her family and her business on the one hand and her growing attraction for a man who could never fit into her life on the other, Anjali turns to her family and cultural roots to make a life-altering decision.
My Rating: 4/5 Stars

My Thoughts:
Let's not beat around the bush: I absolutely love this book! The main character, Anjali, is a beautiful, smart yet vulnerable businesswoman. As a 37-year-old widow, she lives in New Jersey with her parents who immigrated from India years ago. Anjali has one foot in her family's traditional Hindu world and the other in modern American society. She deftly manages to juggle fulfilling her parents' expectations of a dutiful daughter with her own needs and desires as an independent adult woman.
True, I first fell in love with the gorgeous cover of THE SARI SHOP WIDOW. I printed out a copy of the picture and taped it near my computer, glancing at it frequently and eagerly anticipating getting my hands on the actual book. When I was offered the opportunity to participate in this blog tour and receive a copy of the book in pdf, I jumped at the chance. I loaded up my printer with some scrap copy paper and started printing away. I clipped the pages together in groups of about 5 chapters each, and every night for a week, I climbed into bed with my bundle of pages.
Though THE SARI SHOP WIDOW is a quick and easy read, I really enjoyed rationing the chapters throughout the week. I could have read it all in one afternoon, but this approach allowed me to linger with the completely engaging characters. Every day I looked forward to the next installment. During the workday, a glance at the book cover pinned up by my desk brought to mind the exotic scents of the Indian meals Anjali and her mother prepared for her conservative uncle during his extended visit with the family. I could hear the click-clack of Anjali's high heels as she walked through her upscale sari shop, Silk & Sapphires, arranging displays and assisting customers. I envisioned the vibrant colors and felt the luxurous silks of the saris and imagined them fluttering in the slight breeze as Anjali briskly took care of business. During my breaks, I would take a peak at Shobhan Bantwal's website and soak up information and images of Indian culture. And finally, at the end of each day, nestled in bed with that evening's alloted chapters, I moved into Anjali's world where she slowly learned how to blend the traditional and the modern aspects of her life and found the courage to risk falling in love and embarking on a new way of living.
As much as I loved this book, it's not without a couple of flaws. There are passages where the writing is a bit awkward, and sometimes I grew impatient with Anjali's continuing reluctance to embrace her second chance at love and happiness. While I feel obligated to mention these little bits that I didn't like, I so enjoyed THE SARI SHOP WIDOW and my whole reading experience, that I scoff at my own criticism of the book! Who cares if it's not perfect? I fell in love, and I'm betting you will, too!
Come back tomorrow to read an excerpt of THE SARI SHOP WIDOW as well as a guest post by Shobhan Banwal.
About Shobhan Banwal

Shobhan Bantwal calls her writing “Bollywood in a Book,” romantic, colorful, action-packed tales, rich with elements of her own Indian culture -- stories that entertain and educate. She is an award-winning women's fiction author of three published novels and has contributed to an anthology of short stories. Shobhan writes for a variety of publications including The Writer magazine, India Abroad, Little India, U.S. 1, Desi Journal, India Currents, Overseas Indian, and New Woman India. Her short stories have won honors/awards in contests sponsored by Writer's Digest, New York Stories and New Woman magazines

For a preview of the book, visit - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9uRlbkxxes

Order Your Copy at Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Sari-Shop-Widow-Shobhan-Bantwal/dp/0758232020

For more information on Shobhan Bantwal's new and other books and to enter a drawing to win a number of prizes, please go to her website's “Contests” page and sign up between Sept 1 and Sept 30, 2009 at http://www.shobhanbantwal.com/

Full September Virtual Tour Details - http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2009/07/sari-shop-widow-by-shobhan-bantwal.html

Thank you to Nikki Leigh and Promo 101 Virtual Blog Tours
for organizing this tour
and for providing me with my review copy of THE SARI SHOP WIDOW.

THANK YOU! BBAW Nominations

Well, thank you! A Sea of Books has been nominated for 2 Book Blogger Appreciation Week Awards! The categories are Best Blog Name and Best General Review Blog.

However, it looks as though I've disqualified myself from the Best General Review Blog category because I've been AWOL and did not submit the requisite 5 posts to the awards panel before the deadline last Friday. I apologize for that both to whomever nominated me as well as to the panel. I've been spread thin with several family obligations, extra work responsibilities, and car trouble! In fact, it will probably be a couple more days before I can publish a book post again.

I'm really tickled to have been nominated -- it was totally unexpected. The nomination for Best General Review Blog has really helped to focus my thoughts on what I want my blog to be and how to achieve that. I'll be spending the next year putting those thoughts into practice, so you can look forward to many improvements over the next few months.

And it's so nice and validating to be nominated in the Best Blog Name category. I've only been blogging since April, and I went through a long list of possible names before choosing A Sea of Books. I even briefly considered changing it a couple of months ago. Looks like I made the right choice!

I'd also like to congratulate all the other nominees and wish you all good luck!

Thank you, again, and please check back in a couple of days for my post onTHE GUERNSEY POTATO PEEL PIE AND LITERARY SOCIETY by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.