The Joy of Spooking + contest winner

Some of you may recall that I reviewed The Joy of Spooking: Unearthly Asylum. And then I disappeared from the face of the blog-world. I am going to cite "personal reasons" and get on with a long overdue contest announcement!

I know there are those who swear by random number generators, but I am old-fashioned. I have yet to embrace Kindle or Nook, and I prefer pulling a slip of paper out of a hat. Actually, I have Lilah pull a slip out of the hat, a task she takes very seriously.

The winner is...drum roll...JenL! Thank you very much to all who entered. This is a delightful series. The third book, SINISTER SCENES, comes out next year, and I can hardly wait.

The Joy of Spooking: Unearthly Asylum by P.J. Bracegirdle

Sequels are tricky things, what with the balancing act of preserving what made the first book good while creating a fresh story. The more I enjoyed the first book in a series, the more anxious/hopeful I feel as I approach the second. A good first book could be a fluke, after all. As you can see here, I loved the first book in the Joy of Spooking trilogy, FIENDISH DEEDS. I will not keep you in suspense: the second book more than realizes the potential of the first to kick off a fantastic trilogy. Now I'm conflicted, because I can't wait for the third book, SINISTER SCENES, in Summer 2011, yet that will be the end of the series!

In FIENDISH DEEDS, we met Joy, a morbid yet likable young denizen of Spooking, her decaying hometown perched on a hill outside the perfect, cookie-cutter suburb of Darlington, where she attends school with the insufferable Darlings. Joy adores everything about Spooking and is convinced that her favorite horror writer, E.A. Peugeot, was writing about Spooking in his chilling tales. When the presumed bog of his stories is threatened by the ambition of the mayor's assistant, Octavio Phipps, she springs into action. In UNEARTHLY ASYLUM, Joy is out of sorts because her little brother/sidekick is occupied with a new friend and her mission to prove that Spooking was the home of Peugeot runs into a major obstacle. Meanwhile, Phipps has a new plan to destroy Spooking, involving the creepy old asylum (the possible setting for Peugeot's story, "The Asylum"). When her beloved pet frog turns up on the wrong side of the asylum wall, Joy mounts a rescue operation. Will she make it out in one piece? Will she find proof of Peugeot's presence in Spooking? Will she uncover the secrets of the strange asylum? Good heavens, you don't really think I'd answer these questions, do you? Go read the book.

The snappy dialogue and clever wit of FIENDISH DEEDS continue in the second book. I was delighted to find that Joy was not only as delightful as she was in the first book, but Bracegirdle has added new dimension to her character. In the first book, her loyalty to Spooking was unwavering; in the second, she begins to see that decay may also have a downside. She also considers the possibility that she might be mistaken about Peugeot having lived in Spooking. Phipps, Joy's nemesis, is also fleshed out further. We learn more about his past and the source of his hatred for Spooking. His interaction with Joy is a delight. As Joy's mother decides to send her to a psychiatrist, attitudes toward mental illness are touched on.

A sample of Bracegirdle's witty phrasing: "Her already excitable character had become impossibly effervescent, and like a shaken pop bottle, she seemed about ready to explode." (p. 158)

For more information about UNEARTHLY ASYLUM, now available in hardcover, see P.J. Bracegirdle's website
Like P.J. Bracegirdle on Facebook!

Source disclosure: I received a review copy of this book.

You want to read this book, don't you? Of course you do! Here's how to receive your very own, brand-new copy of UNEARTHLY ASYLUM (and since I expect you'll love Joy as much as I do, I feel moved to throw in a paperback copy of FIENDISH DEEDS if you haven't yet read it):

1. For one entry, comment on this post and tell me whether you've read FIENDISH DEEDS and/or your favorite mystery/horror story/novel.
2. For three entries, "Like" P. J. Bracegirdle's page on Facebook and post below that you did (yes, I WILL check, and I will be annoyed if you try to put one over on me).
3. For three entries, follow my book musings on Twitter and tell me that you did.
4. For three entries, follow this blog and tell me you did (or already do).
5. Come back every day this week and comment on posts - each genuine comment (no, "I'm commenting!" does not count; say something insightful or, at the very least, entertaining) will add one entry.

Yes, you CAN win with only a comment on this post...but don't be shy about upping your odds.

UPDATE! I was in a car accident this week, and am therefore spending my free time car-shopping. Therefore, you now have an extra week to enter the contest. Creepy Halloween entry deadline: 11:59 pm EDT on Sunday, October 31! Retweet or post on your own blog for an extra entry. Don't forget to include some way of contacting you.

Cozy Giveaway Winner!

Thank you to those who entered our giveaway for Kate Jacobs knitting books and cozy goodies! Haleyknitz is the big winner! Congrats!!

Green Books Campaign: Ethnic Knitting Exploration

This review is part of the Green Books campaign. Today 100 bloggers are reviewing 100 great books printed in an environmentally friendly way. Our goal is to encourage publishers to get greener and readers to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books. This campaign is organized by Eco-Libris, a a green company working to green up the book industry by promoting the adoption of green practices, balancing out books by planting trees, and supporting green books. A full list of participating blogs and links to their reviews is available on Eco-Libris website.

Ethnic Knitting Exploration is printed using FSC-certified paper and/or recycled paper. Personally, I am conflicted about print books. I prefer them, and I haven't switched to an electronic reader for that reason. However, I am concerned about the environmental impact of print books. Using FSC-certified and recycled paper is a greener solution without giving up the magic of turning pages or the ability to lend a favorite book to a friend.

Ethnic Knitting Exploration: Lithuania, Iceland, and Ireland by Donna Druchunas: This is a fascinating read, and a great resource for knitters interested in exploring the traditional techniques of these three cultures. This is not, however, a pattern book. Instead, Druchunas gives you all the tools you need to design a custom project based on your measurements, preferred structure and motifs, and your choice of yarn, with tips for tweaking established patterns. Along the way, she includes information about each culture's approach to knitting, traditions, and materials (e.g., an interesting definition/explanation of Lopi yarn in the Iceland section). She offers sample projects with charts for plugging in your measurements for determining the number of stitches needed for a perfect fit. Projects include fingerless mittens and raglan pullovers (Lithuania), a capelet, yoked pullover and cardigan (Iceland), and a poncho and Aran pullover (Ireland). A final section includes further information on cardigans. This book is absolutely packed with information, but the organization is brilliant and makes it very easy to design and execute a project that will fit perfectly and incorporate the elements you like best.

Source disclosure: I received this book courtesy of Nomad Press through the Green Books Initiative.

Are you an adventurous knitter? Does this book sound perfect for you? Leave a comment on this post to be entered to win it!

+1 If you follow our blog or become a new follower
+1 If you link to this contest on your blog
+1 If you tweet this post

This contest is open worldwide. Enter before Friday, November 13 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Cozy Autumn Giveaway!

Giveaway time again here at On My Bookshelf...

Autumn is my FAVORITE time of year hands down! I love the changing colors, I love the leaves everywhere. I love watching my kids play in the leaves, trick or treating, Thanksgiving, etc. Just love the coziness of it all! So in honor of my favorite season, I've put together a fun giveaway.

I have a hardcover of Kate Jacob's The Friday Night Knitting Club as well as an ARC of Knit Two! One winner will get BOTH books. I'm going to throw in a gift that goes along with it as well, just to add to the coziness (hint: it has to do with warm beverages).

Contest rules:
1) Leave a comment WITH AN EMAIL ADDRESS. If you don't leave an email in the comment, you will be disqualified. In your comment, please let me know if you happen to be a knitter as well as a book lover and I might throw an extra little surprise in the box if you win!
2) Leave meaningful comments on any other posts (old or new posts) for extra entries. One entry per comment.
3) Open only to US and Canada addresses.
4) Contest open Nov. 2nd through Nov. 2oth.

Picture Book Thursday: Bear-ly There by Rebekah Raye

Today we're featuring Bear-ly There by Rebekah Raye on Picture Book Thursday.

Raye has written a wonderful story with a great message about enjoying nature but not interfering with it.

Bear-ly There tells the story of a curious bear just awake from hibernating all winter long. He begins to forage and discovers that bird seed and grain found in human backyards provide quite a tasty treat. While he seems to leave animals alone, he creates quite a mess all over the neighborhood. Charlie and his family are afraid the bear will go after their pet geese. Other neighbors want to call animal control or shoot the bear themselves. While Charlie does not like the bear visiting his yard, he does some research and learns that there are things people can do to keep the bear from wanting to come into their yards. Charlie is more concerned about the bear staying in his natural habitat in the woods and finding his food there.

Charlie posts his newfound knowledge in town for all his neighbors to see. Eventually, the bear decides it is more interesting to stay in the woods. Every now and then Charlie still gets a glimpse of the bear just on the edge of the woods. But the bear always stays where he belongs.

I really like the message in this book. I like that instead of taking an active approach to getting rid of the bear like many of the adults in the neighborhood wanted, it was much better for the bear if the humans just took steps to direct him back to his home in the woods. Such a nice, gentle approach to the problem. And I like that Raye is showing a child can learn this information and pass it on to adults.

Raye also illustrates this book with wonderfully artistic drawings. As I always seem to say about Tilbury House books, the artwork is so great! The images are so much more realistic and artistic from many children's picture books which feature cartoon-ish images (not that I don't like those too). It's refreshing to have some more realistic images sometimes.

About the Author:
Rebekah Raye is an artist beloved for her bird and animal paintings and sculpture. Her warm, expressive work is derived from her affinity with the natural world around her at her studio and home in East Blue Hill, Maine (where she had a bear visitor not too long ago). She illustrated Thanks to the Animals by Allen Sockabasin and is the author and illustrator of The Very Best Bed. Rebekah shares her skills and her love of art in workshops for adults and children and makes frequent school visits. You can learn more about Rebekah at www.rebekahraye.com.

This post is part of the Bear-ly There book blog tour! And you can read more about the book at Nature Moms tomorrow!

The author has graciously offered to contribute some of her beautiful wildlife artwork (see samples of her work here), in addition to the signed books Tilbury House will be giving away. So the publisher will be giving out a total of 10 fantastic prizes during the tour!

Blog Comment Prizes
Tilbury House will draw 9 lucky winners from all of those who leave comments on the participating tour posts from (October 16-30) to win one of the following prizes:

- A set of four art cards (2 sets available)
- A signed wildlife art print
- An original sketch from Bear-ly There
- An original sketch from The Very Best Bed
- An original sketch from Thanks to the Animals
- A copy of Bear-ly There, The Very Best Bed, or Thanks to the Animals, signed by Rebekah Raye
Winners will be announced on Oct. 31, US/Canada addresses only, please.

Twitter Prize
Everyone that participates in the Twitter Book Party, and/or posts anything about the tour using the hashtag #BearlyThere from October 15-30 will be entered to win a complete set of Bear-ly There, Thanks to the Animals, and The Very Best Bed, all signed by Rebekah Raye. Winners will be announced on Oct. 31, US/Canada addresses only, please.

So again, this contest is through the publisher, not this blog. Please leave comments here to be entered. And the publisher is will announce (or contact you) if you are a winner.

Source disclosure: I received a galley copy of Bear-ly There from Sarah at Tilbury House to review as part of the book tour.

BBAW Contest Wrap-up: The Winners!!

Thank you to EVERYONE for checking out our blog during BBAW! It was so fun to hear from so many of you and explore some new blogs as well!

Here are the winners for our daily contests:

Day #1: Fearless Fourteen
Wanda (Manitoba, Canada)

Day #1: Mating Rituals of the Northern America WASP/The Chocolate Lover's Club Brenda in Michigan

Day #2: Evil at Heart
holdenj (Minnesota--actually practically down the road from me! What a coincidence)

Day#2: Simon Bloom books GBK Gwyneth (This cracks me up because Gwyneth is my neighbor!)

Day #4: Testimony (2 winners)
Pippirose (Ontario, Canada)
Cheryl (Ontario, Canada)

Day #5: The Associate
Belinda M (Winnipeg, Canada)

Day #5: If Your Kid Eats This Book.../Smart Mama's Green Guide Holdenj (another one for you!)

Stay tuned! I'm going to have a fun Autumn Giveaway starting November 1st!

BBAW Day #5 - Last giveaway!

My last giveaway for Book Blogger Appreciation Week is for two books (one winner receives both), courtesy of Hachette Group. Both are geared toward parents and have really, really long titles.

If Your Kid Eats This Book, Everything Will Still Be Okay: How to Know If Your Child's Injury or Illness Is Really an Emergency by Lara Zibners: This is the book to reach for when your child collides with the coffee table and is bleeding from the scalp or has a fever at 3:00 in the morning. Zibners is an emergency room pediatrician (and also has an excellent sense of humor), so she knows when your child needs a trip to the emergency room. She covers all body parts and emphasizes prevention (while making it easy to determine whether symptoms are ER-worthy in the middle of the night. This is not a cover-to-cover book, but a handy, reassuring reference for parents (especially first-time parents).

Smart Mama's Green Guide: Simple Steps to Reduce Your Child's Toxic Chemical Exposure by Jennifer Taggert: This book empowers the parent looking to reduce exposure to toxic chemicals with practical advice on everything from selecting flooring to deciding what's for dinner. Recipes for nontoxic cleaning supplies are also included. If the tone is sometimes a bit on the alarmist side and the statistics and side effects make the reader's eyes start to glaze over, there are still excellent tips here. The sheer volume of toxic chemicals in the average household is overwhelming; readers will want to focus their energies on implementing small changes.

The Rules:

To enter:
+1 just by leaving a comment on this post AND sharing a parenting tip or a green living tip
+2 if you subscribe to our blog through a feed
+3 if you already subscribe to our blog
+4 if you blog about this giveaway and link to us.

--Please leave ALL entries in ONE comment, not separate comments!
--Be sure to leave your email address in the comment. Entries without email addresses will be discarded.
--Open to only US/Canada residents
--Giveaway ends Friday, September 30th at midnight EDT, winner will be emailed directly.

BBAW Day#5: Giveaway

Today, I'm giving away one hardcover copy of The Associate (Like NEW! Read only once).

Our generic giveaway rules apply. I'll leave this one open until September 30th at midnight.

The Rules:

To enter:
+1 just by leaving a comment on this post
+2 if you subscribe to our blog through a feed
+3 if you already subscribe to our blog
+4 if you blog about this giveaway and link to us.

--Please leave ALL entries in ONE comment, not separate comments!
--Be sure to leave your email address in the comment. Entries without email addresses will be discarded.
--Open to only US/Canada residents
--Giveaway ends Friday, September 30th, winner will be emailed directly.

BBAW Day #4 - Giveaway!

Holly and I each have a copy of Testimony by Anita Shreve hanging around that we'd love to give away!

I'm plagiarizing the rules Holly came up with for her last giveaway, because it's more fun than just having you leave a comment. This drawing is open internationally!

For this one, you will be able to enter as many times as you like!! All you have to do is visit our blog and leave meaningful comments on our blog posts. The more comments you leave, the more entries you get!

Simply leave a comment, include your email address (if no email address, your entry will NOT be included in the drawing). Open worldwide. Contest closes September 27th at midnight.

I just thought this might be fun! I know we have lots of subscribers out there (over 100!), but for some reason, we rarely get commenters! We love to hear your comments, so please be encouraged to leave comments on our posts, EVEN WHEN WE AREN'T HOSTING A GIVEAWAY!! Any ol' day of the week, we love to hear your thoughts!!! Leaving new comments on older posts counts for this giveaway!!! Please go back and explore our older posts, especially if you're new to our blog! Also, any meaningful comments on new posts will count! Can you tell, I'm trying to drum up comments here? :-)

BBAW #2: Evil at Heart Giveaway

Oh man, we've had a busy day around here today!! Sorry for getting this posted so late.

I have an ARC of Chelsea Cain's third book in the Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell series. And I'm giving it away!!!

Here is my review of Evil at Heart which also contains links to my reviews of the first two books.

I'm doing this giveaway a little bit different than others we've hosted. For this one, you will be able to enter as many times as you like!! All you have to do is visit our blog and leave meaningful comments on our blog posts. The more comments you leave, the more entries you get!

Simply leave a comment, include your email address (if no email address, your entry will NOT be included in the drawing). Open to US/Canada only. Contest closes September 27th at midnight.

I just thought this might be fun! I know we have lots of subscribers out there (over 100!), but for some reason, we rarely get commenters! We love to hear your comments, so please be encouraged to leave comments on our posts, EVEN WHEN WE AREN'T HOSTING A GIVEAWAY!! Any ol' day of the week, we love to hear your thoughts!!!

(Edited to add: Leaving new comments on older posts counts for this giveaway!!! Please go back and explore our older posts, especially if you're new to our blog! Also, any meaningful comments on new posts will count! Can you tell, I'm trying to drum up comments here? :-)

BBAW Day #2 - Giveaway

This giveaway is for Simon Bloom: The Gravity Keeper and Simon Bloom: The Octopus Effect by Michael Reisman. This is a clever series that blends science, humor, and suspense. In The Gravity Keeper, sixth-grader Simon Bloom finds a book that allows him to manipulate the laws of the universe. Naturally (this is middle-grade fantasy, after all), he must use his newfound powers to thwart a villain's attempt at world domination. This has gotten good reviews, but I couldn't get into it. I think it's more of a hit with its intended audience (the 9-12 crowd) and not a solid crossover for adult reading.

The Rules:

To enter:
+1 just by leaving a comment on this post
+2 if you subscribe to our blog through a feed
+3 if you already subscribe to our blog
+4 if you blog about this giveaway and link to us.

--Please leave ALL entries in ONE comment, not separate comments!
--Be sure to leave your email address in the comment. Entries without email addresses will be discarded.
--Open to only US/Canada residents
--Giveaway ends Friday, September 16th, winner will be emailed directly.

YA Book Carnival - Giveaway

The very first YA Book Carnival begins today! At On My Bookshelf, we are excited to host a giveaway of two fantastic YA novels, courtesy of Penguin Young Readers!



Waiting for You by Susane Colasanti: Marisa is ready to start her sophomore year on the right foot with a positive attitude and dreams of a boyfriend who will bring her everything she's been waiting for. But when popular Derek surprisingly asks her out, she discovers that what she always wished for might not be enough. Navigating a year filled with conflict--including her parents' relationship turmoil and a fight with her best friend--makes Marisa stronger and helps her understand what's really important. Someone close to Marisa has been waiting for her all along, but will she realize that he's the one?


Peace Love & Baby Ducks by Lauren Myracle: By sophomore year, Carly is so over her cushy lifestyle in the affluent Atlanta suburbs. She is tired of fancy nails, shiny cars, and empty values, and has vowed to become a non-leg-shaving-rebel hippy just to be different. The only person she isn't sick of is her little sister, Anna. But while Carly was away for the summer, her younger sister blossomed into the hottest girl at school. Carly has always relied on Anna's consistency and authenticity, but suddenly everything is different. Then beautiful Cole appears on the scene, and Carly is too busy crushing on him to notice that Anna is drifting away. During an ill-fated party at their house, Carly and Anna--and a trio of adorable baby ducks--hit rock bottom and finally start to make things right.

Who wants to win this pair of ARCs? Leave a comment here for one entry. Become a public follower for FIVE more entries. The winner (US & Canada only, please) will be selected on Friday, June 26 at noon, in time to announce the winner for the last day of the YA Book Carnival on Saturday, June 27.

Words Unspoken by Elizabeth Musser (Review and Giveaway)

This is the story of a nineteen-year-old girl struggling to overcome her mother's tragic death. Eighteen months earlier, Lissa Randall and her mother were driving on the highway when a freak hail storm showered down on them. Lissa skidded and stopped the car safely, but when her mother got out to switch drivers, she was struck down by another car. Lissa feels like a failure and at fault for her mother's death. She searches for a way to overcome her grief and deal with her father's attitude toward her. The book follows her journey trying to get in the driver's seat again and get her license so she can have a renewed sense of freedom from her father, feelings of failure, and self-doubt.

But this book is not just about Lissa. It's about several other characters as well. Two sisters, an older husband and wife who run a driving school, a hot-shot stock broker, and a young publisher's assistant who is looking to get to the top. By the end of the book you understand why all these characters are involved, but for the first half or a little more you sit wondering why you're reading about all these characters when really it's Lissa's story you want to hear. The beginning was very disjointed for me. I didn't really understand why we were meeting all these new characters or why we cared about their story. But as I continued to read, I began to realize how they all related to each other.

I received this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program and I wasn't aware that it was Christian fiction when I requested it. The book description sounded interesting to me, I didn't bother to check the publisher's page (I've learned my lesson there) and there was nothing overtly religious in the book description. I fully admit, I am not a regular church-going gal so I had to go into this book with an open mind. I think if you enjoy reading Christian fiction, you might really enjoy this story. It shows how when people hit rock bottom, their faith can really pull them through. And I can appreciate that sentiment. It wasn't until the second half of the book that the truly Christian nature of the book came out. I have to say for me, it was a bit much, but for others they may truly enjoy it.

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I've decided to giveaway my copy of this book! If you are interested in receiving this gently read ARC copy of Word Unspoken, enter by leaving a comment on this post. For three extra entries follow our blog or become a new subscriber. Sorry this one is only open to the US and Canada. I hate to do that, but my postal budget is low right now. We'll have more contests open to international entries in the future! I'll leave this contest open until May 23rd at noon.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane - Reviews and Giveaways!

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe: History grad student Connie Goodwin has a busy summer ahead of her. Fresh from passing her oral exams to continue in the Ph.D program at Harvard, she is under pressure from her adviser, Manning Chilton, to make progress on her dissertation and her mother has asked her to prepare her grandmother's house for sale. Connie finds the house in much worse shape than she had expected, but she finds a way to combine her two summer jobs when a crumbling book reveals a strange key containing a slip of paper with the words "Deliverance Dane." Connie discovers that Deliverance is a forgotten Salem witch, and sets out to investigate her history, as well as to find her spellbook, which would assure her academic success. While researching, Connie meets handsome Sam who is very interested in her research. The story shifts between present-day Connie's research and the stories of Deliverance and her descendants with ease, and I found the seventeenth-century portions to be very well-written and engaging. Connie's story is quite a page-turner as well, as her research leads her from one clue to another, Chilton becomes more and more fervent in his insistence that Connie find the spellbook, and Sam falls mysteriously ill.

This is an excellent summer read. I love fiction that also teaches me something, and I learned quite a bit about seventeenth-century life and the Salem Witch Trials. Connie was engaging, if a bit slow on the uptake at times, and I thought the supernatural element was handled okay. There were two "revelations" that I thought were perfectly obvious, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment. Anyone involved in academia will enjoy the portrayal of grad student life, and anyone interested in research will enjoy Connie's slow but steady uncovering of facts. I wonder if this book were pitched to the publisher as "The DaVinci Code meets the Salem Witch Trials," but it's far better written than The DaVinci Code, and I think it stands on its own quite well. It avoids the high body count/number of explosions of Interred With Their Bones (which has a similar past/present setup, but deals with Shakespeare). It's a breezier read than The Historian, which I thoroughly enjoyed but would certainly not haul to the beach! I recommend this to anyone interested in the Salem Witch Trials, fiction with a touch of the supernatural, or fiction based on historical research--it was a fun, gripping read!

Available June 9.
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Holly here. :-) I really enjoyed this book too! I am prone to liking most books that have something do with witches either in a fictional/supernatural way or historically speaking. For some reason this subject sort of fascinates me. Like Allison, I felt like the book moved back and forth between the two time periods with ease. I also saw the revelations as quite obvious, but no less entertaining. I really enjoyed the scenes set in the library and various archives, but that's my museum geek side coming through. Overall, this was a very entertaining novel as well as interesting!

Now, as much as I think most people would like this book, there were couple things that bothered me. Not enough to really take away from it for me. They are quite piddly but bothered me nonetheless. The author made a habit of phonetically writing out the old Boston accents of some of the characters. This sort of got on my nerves. I would rather have her describe the accent and then just write the conversation normally leaving the accent up to my imagination. I've seen enough movies to know what that accent sounds like. It just sort of slowed my reading down.

There is also a tiny bit about alchemy toward the end. I won't say too much more about that because I don't want to give too much away. But I sort of rolled my eyes. Perhaps, I just tend to be drawn to treasure hunt/puzzle/mystery type books so that I read an overabundance of books with a slant toward alchemy as a subject (The Alchemist/Michael Scott, The Eight, The Fire/Katherine Neville, The 39 Clues series, and I'm sure there are more that I'm forgetting about). But I think I'm growing tired of the subject. And I sort of felt like it didn't have to be in this book. Maybe Alchemy is just an en vogue subject right now? Who knows. Just my own personal gripe that really doesn't have anything to do with how this book was written or what other people might think about the book. And really this section is quite short and a somewhat insignificant side story. Hopefully my knitpicking won't deter anyone.

I think most people who pick this one up will find a thoroughly engaging read!
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And now for the giveaway. Holly and Allison each have an extra ARC of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane to give away! This contest will only be open to the U.S. and Canada (with apologies to international folks - we'll have more worldwide giveaways in the future!). For one entry, tell us your favorite summer read. For three more entries, follow this blog publicly (of course, current followers count!). For another three entries, blog about this giveaway. There's no need to post each entry on a separate comment, but do give us the link to your blog entry, tell us how you follow, and make sure we have a way to reach you (if your profile has an e-mail address, that's fine). Entries are due Wednesday, May 20 at 9:00 a.m. EDT.

Sworn to Silence Winner

Thank you for all the great comments on the Sworn to Silence contest! There's a ton of mystery/detective books out there and it was fun to hear everyone's favorites.

And now, without further ado...drumroll please....the winner is: Lesley!

She left the following comment, "I don't know if it counts as a detective series but I sure do enjoy Laurell K Hamilton's Anita Blake series. It's got mystery, intrigue and vampire / werewolf politics! What more can a gal ask for?" Sure sounds fun to me!! :-)

Congrats Lesley! And be sure to send us an email to claim your book!

Sworn to Silence Giveaway!!

I somehow ended up with a second copy of Sworn to Silence in my mailbox. So, I'm GIVING IT AWAY!

Click here to check out my review of the book and then come back and leave us a comment to enter!

1. One entry for your comment (please include email address)
2. One entry for telling me your favorite detective/police novels.
3. Two entries for becoming a follower or subscribing to us in Google Reader
OR Three entries if you are ALREADY a follower/subscriber (be sure to let me know in your comment).
4. One additional entry for blogging about this giveaway and letting me know.

You only have to leave me one comment with all that information, multiple comments are not necessary. :-)

Contest open until April 21st 11:59pm Central Time. I'll announce the winner on April 22nd!

Picture Book Thursday: Llama Llama Misses Mama (and Giveaway!!)

A little bit ago, I reviewed Anna Dewdney's book Llama Llama Mad at Mama. While looking up the other Llama Llama books, I realized a new book was coming out in March: Llama Llama Misses Mama. I requested a review copy and Samantha from the Penguin Group was nice enough to send me one (Thanks Samantha)!

When we first met Llama Llama, he wore red pajamas and was a little scared of the dark. He called for his mama and continued to get louder and louder until she came running in the room and said, "Enough of this llama drama." In the second book, Llama Llama gets bored while shopping and further llama drama occurs. Now, in the third book, Llama Llama is off to his first day of preschool.

Llama Llama's day starts off with waking up and getting dressed. Then they are off to school. Mama drops him off and says good-bye. He cannot find anything he wants to do, the kids are loud, and he realizes at lunch time that he really misses his Mama. The teacher takes him aside and assures him that Mama will be back to pick him up when school is through. With this news, he perks right up and starts to have a good time. And when Mama arrives at the end of the day, he realizes he loves his Mama AND school!

This is a delightful addition to Dewdney's Llama Llama series. I just love the rhymes in these books. I also really enjoy the range of emotions Llama Llama feels throughout each story. My girls (especially my three year old) love these books too. I believe they like the illustrations as well as the cadence of the text. And each story is definitely something they can relate to. The books are great for showing a child's point of view in situations where grownups may not think about how children feel. Like how the dark can make you a little scared, and the more you think about it, the scarier it gets; or how boring it can be to shop with Mommy; or how anxious you can get to be taken to a new environment and just left there without anything familiar.

Llama Llama Misses Mama has a great subject and would be perfect to read to children just starting preschool, daycare, or another new situation where they may not know anyone. Lily was very anxious this last fall about going to preschool and this would have been the perfect book to read to her. If you're a fan of the previous books, this one does not disappoint. And you can get your own copy when it is released next Thursday, March 19th!

About the Author
Anna Dewdney (www.annadewdney.com) lives just over a covered bridge in southern Vermont. Her two teenage daughters attend boarding school, so she hopes that they miss her; she misses them! To distract herself, she's been slowly renovating a very old house and goes running with her dogs, Radish and Roscoe.

Here's the GIVEAWAY:
Penguin has offered to give one lucky person a new copy of this book!! If you think your child will love Llama Llama enter this contest! Open until 11:59pm Wednesday, March 18th. I will announce the winner on the 19th, the day the book is available for purchase.

To enter:
1. Leave a comment with your email address saying you'd like to be entered
2. For two extra entries, answer this question: what animal character (from a book) is your child's favorite (or even your favorite)?
3. Subscribe to this blog via Google Reader, or follow us in Blogger and receive 3 extra entries (or let me know you already subscribe).
4. Post about this contest on your blog for one additional entry.

That's a total of 7 possible entries! So go now. Comment away! Pass the word on! Good luck!

Book Giveaway Carnival - Weebeasts

The Weebeasts are a species of naked, pot-bellied, yellow creatures discovered by Micah Linton, who has taken it upon himself to document their history. In Weebeastology: Volume I (a three-volume set, plus poster), their history is documented...with no words at all! It is up to the reader to supply the story from the vivid, distinctive illustrations. In Weebeasts: Plight, a children's picture book, Linton tells the story of the Weebeasts' search for a new home after their bad behavior has them exiled.

Weebeastology is great set for reluctant readers, challenged readers, or children who just like to make up stories. I loved this idea--get children interested in reading by engaging them first in telling stories. The pictures-only format is also a fun way to explore story arcs and structure in a clear, enjoyable way. Weebeasts: Plight had the same vivid illustrations, but with a simple story and a nice lesson (be a good neighbor). Some opposites are thrown in to show the ups and downs of the journey.

We have TWO sets of Weebeasts prizes to win for Book Giveaway Carnival! Each winner will receive the three-volume Weebeastology set, Weebeasts: Plight, AND a plushy Weebeast. To enter, simply leave a comment on the post between now and 6:00 pm Eastern time on Friday, March 6!

Book Giveaway Carnival - Firefly Lane

Book Giveaway Carnival Week is here! Tracy at Bookroom Reviews is hosting a fun event all week. Head over to find some great giveaways from many book bloggers.


Here's our first giveaway for the week: Holly and I each have a copy of Firefly Lane to give away! To enter, just leave a comment on this post before this Friday, March 6 at 6:00 p.m. Eastern time. That's it!

Don't forget to read Holly's review of Firefly Lane here!