The Hop will run through through midnight February 14th. Over 300 blogs are participating and each will be giving away books or book related items to their followers. I’m offering a choice of one of two books to one of my followers:
Sex on the Moon
The Amazing Story Behind the Most Audacious Heist in History
by Ben Mezrich
The true story of Thad Roberts, a brilliant young NASA co-op intern, who steals moon rocks from NASA’s Johnson Space Center and tries to sell them on the internet.
A gently read advance copy of Sex on the Moon by Ben Mezrich. It has the same cover art as the final copy but in softcover instead of hardcover. My review is HERE.
– OR –
Half-Past Dawn
by Richard Doetsch
A thriller spanning time, an Asian people out of legend, an assassin who will stop at nothing to avenge his death sentence, and a diary whose contents foretell the future, Half-Past Dawn is a race through the borders of life and death, insanity and reason, and dreams and reality. In the dim light of half-past dawn, nothing is as it appears to be.
An advance copy of Half-Past Dawn, a thriller by Richard Doetsch. It is new and it has a plain cover.
Giveaway Information
- Contest is open to US addresses only.
- Since this is a Follower Love Hop, you must be a subscriber or follower to win. Leave a comment and let me know which book you would like and how you follow.
- For an extra entry, tweet the giveaway and leave the URL to the tweet in a second comment. (Click on the time stamp link of the tweet and copy the URL that appears in the address bar.)
- The deadline for entry is midnight, February 14th. I will draw one random winner who will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to respond with a mailing address.
Before you leave you might want to check the sidebar for other giveaways. Then hop over to one of the many other participating blogs. Click HERE for a list of other blogs.
Later this week I will be posting a giveaway for The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey, a newly released, magical tale from Reagan Arthur Books.
Contest Now Closed
Mailbox Monday was created by The Printed Page. It is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their home last week.
Mailbox Monday is currently on tour, hosted by a different blog each month. The February host is Metroreader.
Two audiobooks from the publisher for review:
Shadow Patrol
by Olaf Olafsson
John Wells goes undercover in Afghanistan not only among the Taliban but among fellow Americans-in the electrifying new novel of modern suspense from the #1 “New York Times”-bestselling writer.
A Good American
by Alex George
Poignant, funny, and heartbreaking, A Good American is a novel about being an outsider-in your country, in your hometown, and sometimes even in your own family. It is a universal story about our search for home.
Two books from the publishers for review and giveaway:
Snow Child
by Eowyn Ivey
Transport yourself to the untamed Alaskan frontier in the 1920s. A magical tale told with wonder and delight. A childless, older couple build a child out of the first snowfall. The next morning the snow child is gone–but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees. But in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear.
May the Road Rise Up to Meet You
by Peter Troy
An engrossing, epic American drama spanning the first major wave of Irish immigration to New York through the end of the Civil War. Four unique voices; two parallel love stories; one sweeping novel rich in the history of nineteenth-century America. This remarkable debut draws from the great themes of literature—famine, war, love, and family—as it introduces four unforgettable characters.
How was your week?
Adam at Roofbeam Reader is hosting a new challenge, Magical March, a month of reading and reviewing works of Fantasy, Science-Fiction, or Magical Realism.
Any Fantasy, Science Fiction, or Magical Realism books will qualify, including Young Adult, Dystopian, Steampunk, or Alternative Histories. Ebooks & Audiobooks are acceptable.
Participation levels range from as little as one book to eight or more. There will be weekly mini-challenges and prizes. Sign-up any time from now until March 4th.
My level of participation:
1-2 books: Magician’s Class
Tentative reading/listening choices:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Divergent by Veronica Roth
The Radleys by Matt Haig
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
If I get ambitious I can move up to Sorcerer’s Class, with 3-5 books.
Thousands of Snowy Owls have migrated into the lower 48 states this winter. This is highly unusual and scientists speculate that they have come further south in search of food. There have been several sightings of them around the Chicago area and one of the locations was near Millenium Park close to the lakefront.
Since I was going to be in the city to meet a friend for lunch this past week I arrived an hour early, camera ready, in search of a Snowy Owl. Unfortunately I didn’t find one but I knew if I left my camera home there would be one perched on top a light pole or sitting at the lakefront. So instead, I did a little sightseeing photography.
This is a photo of Cloud Gate, a sculpture that sits on the plaza at Millenium Park and is more commonly known as The Bean. I got a nice shot of it with a reflection of the Chicago Skyline. The second shot shows the entire sculpture.
While I was wandering through the park I did see a few common birds like sparrows, chickadees, pigeons and gulls. I was surprised to see a few crows, a once common bird that have only recently begun to make a comeback in Illinois.
The crows were killed off in large numbers in 2002 from an outbreak of West Nile virus. This one was scavenging peanuts that people were throwing to the squirrels.
After lunch, on my way back to the train station, I walked along the Chicago River and saw pairs of Canada Geese congregating near the banks. One of them walked right up to me.
They are accustomed to people and are usually friendly unless it’s nesting season, then they will bite your hand off.
I’ll have a few more Chicago pictures next week.
(Click images for larger view.)
Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.
Jacqueline Kennedy:
Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy
by Caroline Kennedy, Michael Beschloss
Genre: Non-Fiction, History
Publisher: Hyperion
Publish Date: December 27, 2011
Format: Audiobook | 9 hours, 18 minutes
Rating: 4 of 5
These conversations, recorded 4 months after JFK’s death as part of an oral history project, are a fascinating look back in time at Jacqueline Kennedy’s insights in her own words. Much has been written about her but she has only granted three interviews and never wrote an autobiography or memoir. Other than those interviews she never said another word about her life with JFK. After she left the White House she became a private citizen and concentrated on protecting her children from the media and the spotlight.
The interviews were conducted by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. He would ask a series of questions, what Jack thought or what she thought, at times prompting her about the event. She told of how her husband was a wonderful family man, how great he was with the children, that he was intelligent, inquiring and loved to read. She talked about his health and how he lived in constant pain from what she said was unnecessary back surgery, and general bits about their family life.
I was surprised at the candor she displayed in speaking about their days on the campaign trail, other politicians, government and foreign leaders, members of the Cabinet and their wives. There were a lot of people she dished gossip about and many of them she did not like. For those who studied the politics of the era or lived during this time many of these names will be familiar. She also discussed Jack’s views on many people and events. I wanted to hear his views on Cuba but she never asked him as it was a ‘worry’ and not something she wanted to bring up in their home.
From these conversations it’s apparent that Jackie was very much a woman of the times. She was smart and aware of what was going on but she also felt her job as First Lady was to support her husband and make the home a happy place, free from worry. Therefore, she only discussed what he wanted to talk about and claimed not to know his opinion on some events. One of the comments she made was about how women were unsuited for politics because they are too emotional. All that changed in the 70s and I wonder if she would have wanted to take that comment back.
Although the recordings are restored and the clarity is good, the technology of the time was not high quality. In several places it is difficult to understand what is being said. The microphone picks up the noise of people in the background, the children playing and airplanes roaring overhead. The audiobook version contains a pdf file of 128 pages of notes and photos, which were a nice enhancement. There is also a print version of the conversations and, after only listening, I think it would have been helpful to listen while reading along with the book.
For those who were born prior to the 1960s or have a passion for history, these conversations will be of interest and a fascinating glimpse into history.
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Source: Review copy.
Almost Wordless: Taken in a prairie near my house a few weeks ago. I think this is Goldenrod but I’m not 100% sure.
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More Wordless Wednesday.
Welcome to First Chapter Tuesday, hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea. Today I’m spotlighting The Snow Child, a new release from Reagan Arthur Books. My copy arrived today and I can’t wait to get started reading it. Next week I’ll be hosting a giveaway and you will have a chance to enter to win your own copy.
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
Expected publication: February 1st 2012
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books (Little Brown)
A little about the story:
Transport yourself to the untamed Alaskan frontier in the 1920s. A magical tale told with wonder and delight. A childless, older couple build a child out of the first snowfall. The next morning the snow child is gone–but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees. But in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear.
The first paragraph:
Wolverine River, Alaska 1920
Mabel had known there would be silence. That was the point, after all. No infants cooing or wailing. No neighbor children playfully hollering down the lane. No pad of small feet on the wooden stairs worn smooth by generations, or clackety-clack of toys along the kitchen floor. All those sounds of her failure and regret would be left behind, and in their place there would be silence.
Would you want to continue reading?
Under My Apple Tree 