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50th Virtual Poetry Circle

June 19, 2010 by

Welcome to the 50th Virtual Poetry Circle.

Stay tuned for the giveaway details below.  Only participants in the circle are eligible.

Remember, this is just for fun and is not meant to be stressful.

Keep in mind what Molly Peacock’s books suggested. Look at a line, a stanza, sentences, and images; describe what you like or don’t like; and offer an opinion. If you missed my review of her book, check it out here.

Today, we’re going to go easy on you with a contemporary poem from Gregg Mosson:

California Orange Trees

Racing the river, events resurface within abiding shapes;

the heart pounds rapidly, but the hands must steer.

Orange superabundance—I once saw just waste.

My dear friend washed elsewhere, cheer me through God’s ear.

Let me know your thoughts, ideas, feelings, impressions. Let’s have a great discussion…pick a line, pick an image, pick a sentence.

I’ve you missed the other Virtual Poetry Circles, check them out here. It’s never too late to join the discussion.

Giveaway details:

1.  Leave a comment on this post about what poets you’d like to see featured.

Deadline is July 17, 2010, at 11:59PM EST.
Here are the books to choose from:

  1. An Anthology of Twentieth Century New Zealand Poetry by Vincent O’Sullivan
  2. Lost Possessions by Keri Hume
  3. Walt Whitman Selected Poems
  4. A Coney Island of the Mind


Filed Under: virtual poetry circle

Challenges Completed! Others Not so Much!

June 18, 2010 by

I joined this challenge a bit late last year, but it ran from May 2009 through May 2010 (click on the image for more information).  I completed the deep end of the challenge, which required me to read and review 11-15 books of contemporary poetry and poetics.

See the books I reviewed here.

I joined the 2010 Ireland Reading Challenge (click on the image for more information) at the Shamrock Level for 2 books.

Check out my book reviews here.

I’ve completed this challenge by reading 3 books.  Check them out here.

Ok, that’s it for the completed challenges.  For the other challenges and my progress, here you go:

I’ve read 34 out of 50 books for this challenge.  Check them out here.

I’ve read 3 out of 10 books for this challenge.  Check them out here.

I’ve read 5 out of 11 books for this challenge.  Check them out here.

I’ve read 9 out of 12 books for this challenge.  Check them out here.

I haven’t even started this challenge.  It ends June 30 and you have to read, listen or watch between 3 and 6 items.

I’ve read 4 out of 5 spinoffs/rewrites and 0 out of 6 Jane Austen originals.  Check them out here.

I’ve met the requirement to read 2 books of poetry, but I’m not sure I’ve finished a badge yet.  I’ve read 5 contemporary poetry books, which I think qualifies for a badge.  Check them out here.

I’ve read 2 out of 6 vampire books from any series.  Check them out here.

I have not started this challenge either.  I think this one is perpetual, so I may be good on this front.

Filed Under: 2009-10 Valparaiso Poetry Review, 2010 All About the Brontes Challenge, 2010 Clover Bee and Reverie Poetry Challenge, 2010 Thriller and Suspense Reading Challenge, 2010 Vampire Series Challenge, Ireland Challenge, Jane Austen Challenge 2010, New Authors Challenge, Reagan Arthur Challenge, sookie stackhouse reading challenge, South Asian Reading Challenge, Vietnam War Challenge 2010

Sept. 13-17 is Book Blogger Appreciation Week

June 17, 2010 by

During Book Blogger Appreciation Week, there will be fun events, introductions to bloggers you may have heard of or may be new to you, giveaways, and other activities.  There also are awards for Best YA, Kidlit, Eclectic, etc.

For information about the event, please visit the blog.  For information about the awards and nomination process, go here.

To register for BBAW, go this .

As part of BBAW, bloggers are asked to nominate their blogs in a niche category.  I’m going to nominate my blog in Best Poetry, Best Writing, and Best Author Interviews categories.

In accordance with those nominations, I must list 5 posts (3 of which must be reviews) for the judges and voters to check out.

Here’s are the posts for the Best Poetry category, though I would like to mention that my blog is home to the Virtual Poetry Circle every Saturday in which a new poem is posted and discussed weekly.

  1. Song of Napalm by Bruce Weigl (review)
  2. Full Moon Boat by Fred Marchant (review)
  3. Poetry Speaks Who I Am by Elise Paschen (review)
  4. Welcome to National Poetry Month
  5. Reviewing Poetry

Here are the 5 posts for the Best Writing category:

  1. Watermark by Vanitha Sankaran (review)
  2. Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann (review)
  3. Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman (review)
  4. Tim O’Brien Gets to the Emotional Core at Politics & Prose
  5. 2010 Split This Rock Poetry Festival WrapUp

Here are the 5 posts for Best Author Interviews:

  1. Interview with Frank Delaney
  2. Interview with Pam Jenoff
  3. Interview with Lisa See
  4. Interview with Abigail Reynolds
  5. Interview with George Bishop, Jr.

I hope everyone participates in BBAW.  It is always a fun time.

Filed Under: BBAW, Events

Everything Austen Challenge Is Back

June 17, 2010 by

Stephanie’s Written Word has resurrected the Everything Austen Challenge for another go around.  The challenge runs from July 1, 2010 through January 1, 2011.  Check out last year’s list of Austen reads.

All you have to do to join is pick 6 Austen-themed things, which can be books, movies, crafts, etc.

I know what you are saying; I’ve already signed up to do the Jane Austen Challenge 2010.  Check out my selections for that challenge.  I haven’t finished it yet, but I have time (until Dec. 31) and books from Everything Austen can count for the other challenge.  Is that enough incentive?  For me, it is.

Here’s my list of books for this challenge, though it is subject to change due to my mood:

1.  To Conquer Mr. Darcy by Abigail Reynolds

2.  Emma and the Vampires by Wayne Josephson

3.  Persuasion by Jane Austen

4.  Love & Friendship by Jane Austen

5.  Mr. Darcy’s Little Sister by C. Allyn Pierson

6.  Mr. Darcy’s Obsession by Abigail Reynolds

Filed Under: everything austen challenge Tagged With:

Bloggers Converge on Washington D.C.

June 16, 2010 by

I know I love when I get to meet my book blogging buddies I can’t help but smile!  It’s a great way to put a face to a name and blog URL.  Beyond that, its an even better opportunity to get to know the person behind the blog and to talk about, what else, BOOKS.

There are a few meetups for D.C. Area bloggers interested in hanging out with some out-of-towners who will be visiting our nation’s capital.

First, Florinda from The 3 R’s Blog // Reading, ‘Riting, and Randomness will be in town this weekend. We’re headed to Chipotle in Dupont Circle on June 19. Any of you crazy book bloggers in the area is welcome to join us at 1 p.m.

Second, Alyce from At Home With Books will be in town June 25 for dinner at 7 p.m.  If you’ll be in town and want to come, please email me so I can add you to the headcount.

Filed Under: announcements Tagged With:

One Amazing Thing by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

June 16, 2010 by

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni‘s One Amazing Thing is brilliant in its ability to capture reader’s attention and hold it throughout the narrative as the points of view change and characters share a life-changing moment.  Divakaruni’s writing places readers in the room with her characters and traps them there, making the terror of their impending doom real.  Each character is at the visa office seeking papers to travel back to India when something happens and causes the building to partially collapse upon them.

“I am Cameron, he said to himself.  With the words, the world as it was formed around him:  piles of rubble, shapes that might be broken furniture.  Some of the shapes moaned.  The voices — no, it was only one voice — fell into an inexorable rhythm, repeating a name over and over.”  (Page 11)

Uma is among the first of the characters introduced and she’s a college student who enjoys observing others and creating stories for them, which is why she suggests that each of the survivors — in an unknown disaster — tells the group about one amazing moment that changed their lives.  Many of the stories are heartbreaking, but all of them serve as a basis of understanding.  They create a place from which these different people, with their various prejudices and perspectives brought together by circumstances beyond their control, can begin to accept one another.

“Farah.  She had entered Tariq’s life innocuously, the way a letter opener slides under the flap of an envelope, cutting through things that had been glued shut, spilling secret contents.  Her name was like a yearning poet”s sigh, but even Tariq was forced to admit that it didn’t match the rest of her.”  (Page 30)

Book clubs will have a lot to discuss, including what makes life worthwhile to what moments in life would you revisit if you were trapped.  Imagine seeing one amazing thing before you die.  Then recall your memories.  Yes, you have seen one amazing thing though it may have seemed ordinary at the time, but it becomes extraordinary to you.  Divakaruni’s prose is frank and her characters are dynamic and flawed.  One Amazing Thing is just that.

Thanks to Divakaruni for sending me a review copy of her novel.

***I also appreciated that One Amazing Thing is printed on Certified Fiber Sourcing as part of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.***

About the Author:

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an award-winning author and poet. Her themes include women, immigration, the South Asian experience, history, myth, magic and celebrating diversity.

She writes both for adults and children. Her books have been translated into 20 languages, including Dutch, Hebrew, Russian and Japanese. Two novels, The Mistress of Spices and Sister of My Heart, have been made into films. Her short stories, Arranged Marriage, won an American Book Award. She teaches Creative Writing at the University of Houston.

This is my 3rd book for the 2010 South Asian Author Reading Challenge.

This is my 34th book for the 2010 New Authors Reading Challenge.

This is my 9th book for the 2010 Thriller & Suspense Reading Challenge.

Filed Under: 2010 Thriller and Suspense Reading Challenge, fiction, Green books, Harper Collins, New Authors Challenge, Read in 2010, review copy, reviews, South Asian Reading Challenge Tagged With: ,

The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by C.W. Gortner

June 15, 2010 by

C.W. Gortner‘s third book, The Confessions of Catherine de Medici, has all the best elements of historical, royal fiction from political strife to women sold in marriage to keep the peace.  Like his previous book, The Last Queen which I reviewed, The Confessions of Catherine de Medici is chock full of drama as Catherine is taken from her home shortly after surviving an angry mob in Florence and betrothed to Henri, one of the sons in line for the throne of France.

“How little they know me.  How little anyone knows me.  Perhaps it was ever my fate to dwell alone in the myth of my own life, to bear witness to the legend that has sprung around me like some venomous bloom.  I have been called murderess and opportunist, savior and victim.  And along the way, become far more than was ever expected of me, even if loneliness was always present, like a faithful hound at my heels.

The truth is, not one of us is innocent.

We all have sins to confess.”  (Page 3)

Catherine learns of her gift at a very young age but is frightened by what her visions mean for her and her future.  Despite her misgivings about her gift, she relies on seers and fortunetellers to guide her path and that of her blossoming family.  Her marriage is in name only as her husband favors his mistress blatantly in court, and she is forced to endure the shame of it.  Catherine is a strong woman determined to maintain her pride and courtly manner even though it is constantly tested by Henri’s mistress Diane de Poitiers and the thorny politics of her new nation.

Enter, Nostradamus — yes, THE Nostradamus — to issue cryptic predictions and advice to Catherine as she and her adopted nation of France teeter on the brink of religious war.  His advice is invaluable to her as she navigates the political and religious turmoil of France, though his appearances are brief, almost as if he were an apparition.

“As I passed the alcove, I sensed a presence.  I whirled about.  I couldn’t contain my gasp when I saw Nostradamus materialize as if from nowhere.  ‘You scared me to death! How did you get in here?’

‘Through the door,’ he said, ‘No one noticed.'”  (Page 182)

The novel reads like a set of confessions from Catherine herself as she analyzes her past, her faults, and her passions.  Gortner crafts very strong, royal women that draw from historical fact and weaves in a captivating narrative that will leave readers struggling to adjust to their own lives once they’ve finished the last page.  The Confessions of Catherine de Medici will round out the character of the woman thought to be one of the most ruthless leaders of France as she acted as regent for her young sons, highlighting the motivations of her decisions at a time when there were no right answers.  One of the best books I’ve read this year.

Check out the Q&A about Confessions of Catherine de Medici.

About the Author:

C.W. Gortner‘s fascination with history is a lifetime pursuit. He holds a Masters in Fine Arts in Writing with an emphasis on Renaissance Studies from the New College of California and often travels to research his books. He has experienced life in a medieval Spanish castle and danced a galliard in a Tudor great hall; dug through library archives all over Europe; and tried to see and touch — or, at least, gaze at through impenetrable museum glass — as many artifacts of the era as he can find.

The Giveaway:

I have 1 reader’s copy up for grabs.  The giveaway is international.

***added bonus for the winner, a Catherine de Medici medallion***

1.  Leave a comment about what confession you hope to read about in Gortner’s book.

2.  Blog, Tweet, Facebook, or otherwise spread the word about the giveaway and leave a link in the comments.

Deadline is July 4, 2010 at 11:59PM EST

Filed Under: giveaway, historical fiction, pump up your book promotion, random house, Read in 2010, review copy, reviews Tagged With: ,

Winner of CSN/Savvy Verse & Wit Giveaway

June 14, 2010 by

Out of 37 entrants, Random.org selected #22

Colleen of Books in the City

She said, “I need a desk – in a small NYC apartment my desk options are limited but working on the kitchen counter is not going to cut it much longer!”

Congrats and enjoy your new desk!

Filed Under: winners

Mailbox Monday #85

June 14, 2010 by

Marcia at The Printed Page and Kristi of The Story Siren both sponsor memes in which bloggers share what books they’ve received in the past week.  I’m going to continue calling these Mailbox Mondays, but The Story Siren also has In My Mailbox.  Just be warned that these posts can increase your TBR piles and wish lists.

Here’s what I received:

1.  The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson, which I pre-ordered so I could finally start this series.

2.  The Hypnotist by M.J. Rose for review.

3.  The Memory of Water by Karen White, which I purchased from the library for 50 cents.

4.  Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky, which I purchased from the library for 50 cents.

5.  The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee, which I purchased from the library for 50 cents.

6.  Take a Chance on Me by Jill Mansell for review from Sourcebooks, and I’m surprised to see quotes from my reviews and others, like Booking Mama and Diary of an Eccentric.

7.  Free to a Good Home by Eve Marie Mont for review.

8.  The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, a giveaway win from Bibliofreak‘s Blogiversary.

9.  The Lace Makers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri for a TLC Book Tour.

10.  Semper Cool by Barry Fixler; 2 copies for the War Through the Generations end of year giveaway.

Here’s what I got from the library sale:

11.  An Anthology of Twentieth Century New Zealand Poetry by Vincent O’Sullivan for the 50th Virtual Poetry Circle giveaway.

12.  Lost Possessions by Keri Hume for the 50th Virtual Poetry Circle Giveaway.

13.  Walt Whitman Selected Poems for the 50th Virtual Poetry Circle Giveaway.

14.  A Coney Island of the Mind by Lawrence Ferlinghetti for the 50th Virtual Poetry Circle Giveaway.

15.  The Quiet American by Graham Greene for the Vietnam War Reading Challenge.

16.  Starting From San Francisco by Lawrence Ferlinghetti

17.  Crossing the Water by Sylvia Plath

What did you receive?

Filed Under: mailbox monday

Blogiversary Giveway

June 13, 2010 by

Hello everyone!  It’s been three years (June 12) since I first started talking about writing, publishing, and books here on the blog, and I’m so glad that readers still come here and comment on a regular basis.

As a thank you, I’m offering a giveaway to you!

All you have to do is leave a comment about what book from the list you want and why.  Please have a backup selection in mind as well.

I’ll choose random winners until the books are gone on July 5, 2010.

Here are the books:

  1. Little Bird of Heaven by Joyce Carol Oates
  2. The Lazy Environmentalist by Josh Dorfman
  3. The Best Teen Writing of 2009
  4. Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart
  5. Game Control by Lionel Shriver
  6. Checker and the Derailleurs by Lionel Shriver
  7. Letter to My Daughter by George Bishop (caution this one has water damage, but is still readable and is signed, thought the signature is very washed out.)

Good Luck!

Filed Under: giveaway Tagged With: