Posts in the Events Category at Savvy Verse & Wit, Page 36

Name Your Favorite Detectives and Win

March 3, 2010 by Serena

Jen at Jen’s Book Thoughts is hosting Detectives Around the World between April 11 and April 17 (mark your calendars), and as part of the fun, she’s holding the World’s Favorite Detective Tournament.

First, I wanted to let you know that I am excited to be one of the many participating bloggers in this event and that I am psyched about my detective — Dr. Alex Cross, a Washington D.C. cop, psychologist, and FBI agent created by James Patterson.

These are the other participants:

Skrishna’s Books – Vish Puri (India)
Booking Mama – Flavia de Luce (England)
Beth Fish Reads – Cork O’Connor (Minnesota)
Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin’? – Kelly Jones (New England)
Jenn’s Book Shelves – Archie Sheridan (Oregon)
My Friend Amy – Shunsuke Honma (Japan)
Word Lily – Armand Gamache (Canada)
Literate House Wife – Grijpstra/Gier (Amsterdam)
Lesa’s Book Critiques – Gastner (New Mexico)
The Drowning Machine – Thomas Black (Washington)
A Few More Pages – William Monk (England)
Stumbling the Walk – James Crumley (Montana)
L.J. Sellers Blog – Kristin Van Dijk (Texas)

SuziQ Oregon – Simon Serrailler (England)
Bermudaonion’s Weblog – Kinsey Milhone (So. California)

Char’s Book Reviews – Wade Jackson (Oregon)

Books Are Like Candy Corn – Kimo Kanapa’aka (Hawaii)

Book Chase – Omar Yussef (Gaza)

Each of us will be reviewing one book featuring our chosen detective and providing one post on setting. Guest posts and other fun activities, including a scavenger hunt, are being planned as well.

There is still time to participate, Jen is accepting other blogger participants through March 28. All you have to do is email her your top three detective picks (who have to be cops, FBI, licensed PIs — not amateur detectives and sleuths) and she will give you your top pick so long as no one has it already.

Voting in the World’s Favorite Detective Tournament begins March 5 and will continue each week thereafter until the top detective is selected. Check out the list of 64 nominated detectives, but don’t worry Jen will provide you with links to information about them so you can choose wisely. And yes, there will be prizes.

I hope you will join us in one form or another.

***
As an aside, I’ve been scarce on the blogs since my cousin came to visit, but I’ll be making the rounds soon.

Filed Under: announcements, Detectives Around the World 2010

2010 Split This Rock Poetry Festival in D.C.

February 18, 2010 by Serena

MARCH 10-13, Washington, D.C. will host the Split This Rock Poetry Festival, which brings together poets and activists to speak out on the latest issues facing our nation. This year, there’s a lot to discuss with two wars, an economic crisis, and more.

The festival features readings, workshops, panel discussions, and other activities and it is a mix of performance, poetry, and film. I’ve never been to this event, but this year I received a scholarship to cover the registration cost of $75, which is the early bird price through Feb. 20, 2010. So if you’d like to go, register TODAY!

For information about the scholarships, go here.

Check out the schedule, which is being updated regularly.

I’m really looking forward to these panels:

1. The Public Role of Poetry: How to Build a Poetry Reading
2. The Care and Feeding of the Rural/Small Town Poet-Activist
3. Women & War/Women & Peace: International Voices
4. Warriors Writing: Teaching Creative Writing to War Veterans
5. The Peace Shelves: Essential Books and Poems for the 21st Century (which features my Suffolk University Advisor Fred Marchant; He now directs the Poetry Center, which emerged after I graduated from undergrad)
6. Cross-Discipline Collaboration: How Writers and Artists are Working Together to Push Boundaries and Engage the Public
7. Giving Voice to the Silence/d
8. What Makes Effective Political Poetry? – Editors’ Perspectives
9. Split This Rock Panel
10. The Poet as Historian in the 21st Century: A Rare Opportunity in Difficult Times
11. Fatty Girls, Imaginary Cocks, and Vaginas Built Like Bookstores: A Workshop on Writing the Activist Body

I probably won’t get to all of these panels since some of the times overlap, but you can bet I’ll be blogging about the festival and showing you some great photos.

Did I forget to mention that Bruce Weigel will be reading. There are individual reading tickets available for $8 as well, so even if you want to just attend a reading, you can!

This also marks the first time I will be visiting the U Street Neighborhood and its cool venues. One of those venues is Busboys and Poets, which I’ve been dying to get to! Thankfully, there is a great list of venues and directions on the festival Website.

OK, I’ve left out the best part of the festival — besides the panels and the readings — THE BOOK FAIR! Not that I need more books, but it will be good to check out new-to-me poets and their books, and maybe break that book-buying ban!

Now, I don’t consider myself an activist poet, but I’ve always admired their work and would love to take this opportunity to learn more about them. I hope some of you in the D.C. area will join me. It’s bound to be a lot of fun, and there is an end-of-festival party!

What panels would you like from the list? Which ones do you think I should attend?

Book Party in NYC

February 12, 2010 by Serena

By now, I’m sure you’ve seen the Book Expo America and Book Blogger Convention 2010 tour posts to drum up excitement and provide practical advice to attendees. Today, I’m going on the assumption that you ARE going to BEA and BBC because it is the biggest BOOK PARTY in NYC (May 25-28).

1. First order of business is RESERVE your hotel room NOW through BEA’s discount program. These rooms will go fast.

Once you reserve your room, you can look for roommates to share the cost with. If you haven’t met any other bloggers, don’t worry, we don’t bite (much) and would love to share a room with you.

If you prefer, there is a hostel in New York City, check out The Zen Leaf’s pros and cons post.

2. Second, pick a mode of transportation to NYC. Depending on how close you are and how much you dislike airport security, you may want to consider Amtrak because the costs are lower, the security is smoother, and the trip allows you to read a book. If you have AAA, you can get a discount on travel and BEA indicates Amtrak will give you as a BEA participant a 10 percent discount on the lowest fares.

Traveling from D.C. to NYC last year by train was smooth, and the train drops you in Penn Station, which is right near the NYC subway, making it convenient for getting to your hotel destination.

3. Third, if you plan to arrive earlier than the beginning of the conference, plan out what sights you want to see. Whether it is the Statue of Liberty or Strawberry Fields, having a plan makes it easier. But in addition to sights, make sure you check out the areas where you plan to visit to see what restaurants are available. I always make a plan of places I want to eat, especially near famous landmarks and museums. Makes it easier to grab some good grub, in budget, when you find that you are ravenous!

BEA does offer discounts on event tickets and monuments, and according to the Web site, there will be additional incentives for food places as well.

4. Fourth, pack your bags! Imagine a book connoisseur who also loves photography. You can imagine what this individual (ahem, me!) would take with her on vacation. I have a digital SLR Nikon, which I failed to take last year, but you can bet that won’t be happening again this year. This will require not only charged batteries and a charger, but also an additional long-range lens and cleaning paraphernalia. Good thing I have a backpack case for all this stuff. Will I bring it all? Not sure, but I know I need a plan.

Traveling by train or plane will give you time to read, which means you will want to bring books. BUT remember why you are going to BEA — networking and BOOKS! I suggest you pick 2 likely candidates or 1 chunkster, but not more than that. YOU won’t have time! From the moment your feet hit the ground, you will be running and excited and overwhelmed.

I also tend to pack clothes that are versatile. Clothes that present well, but are casual and comfortable. Docker slacks, nice t-shirts, and a few blouses . . . and of course, as you’ve heard COMFORTABLE FOOTWEAR! I have a foot problem, which means I only wear sneakers because dress shoes aggravate me.

5. Fifth, While in the city, you want to make sure you have a transportation plan. Do you want to pay hefty cab fares over the course of a week? I know I don’t, and I didn’t. Anna and I took the subway and the bus last year, which was made simple with the NYC MetroCard.

We bought day passes, since we only attended about 1.5 days of BEA last year, but this year, I’ll be picking up the $27 7-day Unlimited Ride MetroCard (click to see where you can buy these cards), which means all trips are covered for seven days and bus ride transfers are covered as well! Great deal for sight seeing and for getting to and from the Javits.

There are shuttle bus routes at a variety of hotel spots throughout the area that take you to Javits as well. I tend to prefer the freedom of the subway because I don’t have to worry to much about timetables.

Must-Have items on your trip to BEA and BBC:

1. Book(s) to occupy travel time.
2. Rolling suitcase with minimal clothes and enough room for books on the way back.
3. Comfortable shoes and clothes.
4. Business cards; I got mine from MOO, and I LOVE them.
5. Plan for tackling the autographing lines and BEA/BBC events.
6. Camera for those photo ops with other bloggers, authors, and more.
7. Water/Snacks/Gum or Mints to keep you refreshed.
8. Spending money for food, sight seeing, and nights out.
9. Tote bag to carry all those ARCs, Galleys, and books.
10. Notebook and pen/recorder to make sure you remember everything you want to blog about.

I hope this advice helps and that I will see all or most of you there! If anyone wants to meet up while in NYC, I’m all for it.

FTC Disclosure: I am not affiliated with MOO, but really recommend their business card services because my business cards came out AWESOME.

Filed Under: BEA, Events Tagged With: 2010

Government Girl Stacy Parker Aab Hits the Booksigning Circuit

February 5, 2010 by Serena

I’ve only been to the Borders on 1801 K Street in Washington, D.C., one other time for a reading, and the area has changed a great deal since I worked in the city nearly 10 years ago. But hubby and I wandered the city streets for a while looking for something to eat before the reading since I get out of work long before the 6:30 PM event and he had the day off.

We found this out of the way lounge, Recessions, and decided to give it a try. The way down into the lounge was a bit odd, like winding your way through antiseptic hallways only to find yourself in a mafia den. We had some cheap eats and drinks, but the service was really slow.

When we got to Borders, the front display of Stacy Parker Aab‘s book, Government Girl, had been picked over quite a bit. I did my part and picked up two copies and immediately checked them out at the register; I’d even brought my ARC. While waiting for the program to start, I read a book and my hubby wandered the bookstore’s DVD section and collectors’ books. The reading started a little bit late, but that provided more time for the stragglers to come in and fill up the event’s seating. I was glad to see so many young women in attendance, who either currently went to George Washington University, like Aab had, or were in the political arena already.

Aab read from three sections of her memoir, and at times she seemed a bit nervous. But with a first book, who wouldn’t be?! One of my favorite sections of the book about Secret Service agents was a real treat to hear in her voice and with her inflections. This is a section she referred to as an ode of sorts. I’d say it pays homage to the lonely nature of being a Secret Service agent for sure. This was my favorite part of the reading.

Following the reading portion of the evening, the floor was opened up to questions from the audience and there was a wide variety. While she was asked about balancing the stress of working in the White House with her romantic and recreational life, she was also asked about how the atmosphere changed in the White House when the Monica Lewinsky scandal hit during the Clinton Administration. Here’s a little bit of how she answered the atmosphere question (you can thank my husband for all the photos and video because I was nervous for some reason — I seem to always get that way with authors I enjoy, like I don’t know what to say in person):

I think some of the other questions about fashion advice on a budget and dating were a bit strange to ask an author who is about 10 years removed from the area given that things change in D.C. so rapidly, and I’m afraid those audience members didn’t really get the answers they had hoped for. Overall, it was a good reading, and it was great to meet Aab in person after all the lovely emails we have exchanged. I’ll leave you with two pictures, one of the signing line and one of me getting the books signed.

Giveaway Details; This one is open only to readers of the blog OUTSIDE the US/Canada:

1 SIGNED copy of Government Girl is up for grabs.

1. Leave a comment on this post about whether you get nervous meeting authors you enjoy.
2. Let me know if you have commented on my review, guest post from Aab, and/or my D.C. Literature Examiner article for additional entries.
3. Blog, Tweet, Facebook, etc. the giveaway and leave a link for another entry.

Deadline is Feb. 19, 2010, at 11:59 PM EST. Good Luck!

Filed Under: Events, giveaway Tagged With: events 2010, Government Girl, Stacy Parker Aab

My First Bloggiesta!

January 8, 2010 by Serena

Welcome to my first Bloggiesta! I’ve decided to sign-up and makes some progress on this blog and War Through the Generations.

For the War blog, here are my goals:

1. ~~Get the initial Vietnam War Reading Challenge reviews posted.~~
2. Link the books on the WWII list to the Amazon Affiliate page to hopefully generate money to pay for giveaways and shipping.
3. ~~Add books to the recommended reading list for the Vietnam War Challenge (though I think this will be ongoing)~~

4. ~~Check on our guest post submissions for the Vietnam War Reading Challenge~~
5. ~~Back up the blog~~

For this blog, here are my goals:

1. ~~Add a copyright to my feed (which I just did earlier today–so let’s check this off the list)~~
2. Rearrange sidebars to my satisfaction
3. ~~Ensure all challenge reviews have the appropriate challenge tags, images, and links~~
4. ~~Make sure that all challenge book reviews are linked on appropriate challenge pages~~
5. ~~Organize Google Reader and makes sure all Vietnam War Reading Participants are in their own folder~~
6. Update my spreadsheet of ARC and review books and take stock
7. Think up some article ideas on writing and editing
8. Comment on as many posts in my Google Reader as possible
9. ~~Make sure to post at least the first Virtual Poetry Circle post of the New Year!~~
10. ~~Backup the blog~~

I hope I can accomplish at least some of this over the weekend. If I even get just the War blog stuff done, I will be happy.

Thanks to Natasha of Maw Books for hosting.

I think I’m going to update this post as I go through the Bloggiesta, so you’ll see more cross-outs as I go along.

***Update at 6:30PM***

I spent about 1 hour before my nap working on sidebars, woke up at 5PM, and have been working for 1.5 hours on backing up the blog and getting the next Virtual Poetry Circle post ready. Including the time it took me to read and understand the mini-challenge about adding the copyright to my feed earlier in the day, I’ve spent about 3 hours on bloggiesta so far.

I’ve started updating the WWII Reading list with affiliate links, but I need a break…so that’s 3.5 hours on Bloggiesta so far. How are you doing?

***Update 1/10/10***

I’ve made significant progress during Bloggiesta! I’ve been working on linking the WWII recommended reading books to the Amazon Affiliate page, but this may be a long-term project as it gets tedious and tiring.

I have checked on the guest posts for the 2010 Vietnam War Challenge and will be drafting the review posts we have thus far from our participants.

In total, I’m up to 7.5 hours spent on Bloggiesta.

Yes, I’m back again and I think I’m done for the rest of Bloggiesta because I want to read some more of my books that are calling to me. I’ve spent a total of 10.5 hours on blog stuff, and I think that’s pretty good for my first crack at it. Some of these projects will be ongoing.

Have fun everyone!

Filed Under: announcements, Bloggeista

The Bum Magnet by K.L. Brady

January 7, 2010 by Serena

K.L. Brady’s The Bum Magnet is local chicklit for Washington, D.C., residents and stars the bum magnet herself, Charisse. She’s a real estate agent with a serial dating problem, always seeming to attract the wrong kind of man and hanging onto them. Dwayne, Lamar, Sean, and Marcus are just some of the bums in this book, but are they all bums? That’s what Charisse has to figure out, if she can get past her own hangups.

“‘Charisse, a good man is like Santa Claus, believing in him feels real good until you find out he doesn’t really exist.'” (Page 1)

Brady’s debut novel uses a lot of colloquial language and delves into the wrong relationships of her characters through journal entries and flashbacks, but readers may not feel a connection to Charisse right off. She’s a bristly, independent woman on the one hand, but a dependent, lonely woman on the other. Like all of us, Charisse has her strengths and her weaknesses, but she seems to have a hard time recognizing the obvious and in many ways she goes off the deep end.

“No, to me, spying on a boyfriend was not only justified, it was a requirement. Hey, I keep it real. To ask me not to spy on a scheming boyfriend would be like asking a lion not to hunt, a dog not to bark, or babies not to throw up. ‘Verification’ was an instinctive to me (and all womankind), as giving birth.” (Page 61)

As she makes the decision to focus on herself and analyze her past relationship failures to improve her relationship capabilities, she stumbles upon the man of her “dreams,” Dwayne, shortly after breaking it off with Marcus. Things are soon spiraling out of control for Charisse when past flames reappear and past mistakes rear their ugly heads.

“I hoped she wasn’t crazy. For some reason, I’d always attracted crazy people. Not eccentric crazy, but wear aluminum foil as a fashion accessory crazy. They always shared their life stories with me. Did I have an inviting demeanor or a friendly face? Perhaps. Although I had a deep-rooted fear that crazy people might just be naturally drawn to other crazy people, which would make me one of them.” (Page 122)

The Bum Magnet has a lot of drama, and Charisse attracts it like wildfire. Readers will either enjoy the roller coaster ride or wonder when they can get off. Brady has an active imagination and the dialogue will have readers giggling. Brady’s writing is entertaining and has great potential.

FTC Disclosure: Thanks to K.L. Brady for providing me with a free copy of The Bum Magnet for review. Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

K. L. Brady is a D.C. native but spent a number of her formative years in the Ohio Valley. She’s an alumnus of the University of the District of Columbia and University of Maryland University College, earning a B.A. in Economics and M.B.A., respectively. She works as an analyst for a major government contracting firm and is an active real estate agent with Exit Realty by day—and writes by night (often into the wee hours of the morning). She lives just outside of D.C. in Cheltenham, Maryland, with her son, William, and two pet Betta fish, Spongebob and Jerry, and lives to eat chocolate, shop, read, and write.

***International Giveaway Details***

1. Leave a comment on this post about what new author you’ve found in the new year.
2. Blog, Tweet, Facebook, or otherwise spread the word about the giveaway and leave a link on this post.

Deadline Jan. 14, 2010, 11:59PM EST

This is my 1st book for the 2010 New Authors Challenge.

Also, this another stop on the Literary Road Trip.

Filed Under: chicklit, giveaway, New Authors Challenge, Read in 2010, review copy, reviews, The Literary Road Trip Tagged With: K.L. Brady, The Bum Magnet

Happy Holidays and Presents!

December 26, 2009 by Serena

First, I wanted to say that since everyone will have a holiday hangover, I’m going to postpone the 26th Virtual Poetry Circle until the new year!

I wanted to share with everyone the great Secret Santa gifties I received from my LibraryThing SantaThing and my Book Blogger Holiday Swap partner!

Left to right (sort of): Melissa Dela Cruz’s The Van Alen Legacy, Book 1 of Vampire Academy, Book 1 of The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith, all of which I received from my SantaThing partner. Thank you, sjmccreary!

My Book Blogger Swap partner was Staci of Life in the Thumb! I just love her blog and who could have asked for a better partner! She sent me Book 5 of the Morganville vampires, Lord of Misrule. I don’t have any in this series, but the best thing is she sent a Gift card to Barnes & Noble, so I can get the other 4 books in the series! She also sent some great Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate (she must be reading my blog because dark chocolate is my favorite!). Some great paper and a pen and a great bookmark as well! Fantastic gift! Thanks Staci!

My husband got me a gift I’ve been dying for: Inglourious Basterds, which came with a CD soundtrack! and Wii Resort!

In the background, there are a couple of graphic novels I got for my hubby: The Last Temptation and The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks. I also got him some chocolate covered pretzels, which he loves, and Blindness, Punisher, and Haunting in Connecticut.

Oh, and we have this great video of my husband opening his big surprise before he had to leave for work on the morning of Christmas. Sorry, he looks really tired.

I hope everyone had a great holiday and received some great bookish goodies; I know I did. It was a very Vampire Christmas! Happy Holidays everyone!

FTC disclosure: Clicking on links to book and movie titles will bring you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary.

Filed Under: announcements, Holiday Blogger Swap

Holiday Blogger Swap

December 10, 2009 by Serena

I signed up again this year for the Holiday Blogger Swap and my gift arrived today! No, I haven’t opened it yet, but I did take some photos of it when it arrived and when I took the paper off the outside to reveal a neat holiday box.

I want to tease you with these photos. I’ll post about what I received once the holidays are over. For now, you’ll have to be content with these:

So what do you think is inside?

Filed Under: announcements, Holiday Blogger Swap

A Maryland Chick-lit Writer’s Inspiration by K.L. Brady, Author of The Bum Magnet

November 25, 2009 by Serena

Michelle at GalleySmith started this great blog craze about highlighting local authors on The Literary Road Trip. I’ve been a bit lax in participating, but I do have some of these great local authors lined up with guest posts and interviews. I’ve just been slow to post them.

K.L. Brady, author of The Bum Magnet and a local Maryland author; you can check out a list of her appearances or read her latest blog posts. Today, she’s here to share her inspiration, with some local flare. Give her a warm welcome.

As a “chick lit” author—which by my definition means I write about female characters and their relationships using heavy doses of humor—my experiences while residing in Maryland and D.C. have certainly inspired my writing. I lived here during my childhood and for most of my adult life. From Hillcrest Heights in Southeast D.C. to Forestville, Fort Washington, and Cheltenham, Maryland (which is Upper Marlboro with higher real estate taxes), I’ve seen this area through the 1970s gas crunch, a major hurricane, mayoral sting operations, planet-sized potholes, two recessions, political turmoil, a terrorist attack, and the first African-American president. And through it all, one thing has remained constant: women still outnumber men. This condition makes for a, shall we say, “unique” dating experience for the women in the area and provides me with more writing material than I can feasibly use in one lifetime.

If we want to be modern women, we eventually have to adapt to the new times–but I refuse. Unfortunately, I’m a child of D.C’s 60s and still have old-school leanings when it comes to love and dating. I believe men are supposed to call first – and no, a text message that reads “whatchu doin 2nite?” does not constitute invitiation. I believe men should ask you “out” on real dates. “Out” means not “in” the house – microwave popcorn and a DVD do not a date make. And no, dinner does not guarantee that you will get “dessert.” When women like me stay committed to our rules, the selection of women is so plentiful that men can quickly and easily move on to the next target, many of whom don’t impose any rules. So, for men in the Maryland-DC area, dating is like an all-you-can-eat buffet. For women, it’s more like a rice cake—dry and unsatisfying.

People often ask me where my sense of humor comes from and why I incorporate so much into my writing. The answer is simple: I laugh to keep from crying. When you haven’t had a decent date since Jesus was a carpenter, you have to laugh to keep from crying. When you’ve reached level of financial success such that your blip on a man’s dating radar reads “sugar mama,” you have to laugh to keep from crying. When your heart’s been stepped on so many times that it can double as a Dance Dance Revolution Mat, you have to laugh to keep from crying. Some might consider such a dating life depressing, sad, or lonely. For me, it’s entertaining and replete with writing material. Without experiencing another relationship, I could write for eternity based on the life I’ve lived until today. And I view that as an enormous blessing–because if I write a hundred books one of them is bound to be a bestseller.

Ahhh, but fret not single ladies in the metropolitan area, there is a small glimmer of hope at the end of the grim, dark tunnel of DC dating. It’s called “relocation.” However, until your big moving day comes, stick to your rules, persevere…and laugh through your tears.

Thanks again K.L. Brady for a great guest post. If you have enjoyed this guest post, stay tuned for my review of The Bum Magnet.

About the Author:

K.L. Brady is a D.C. native, but spent a number of her formative years in Bellaire, Ohio. She says, “I know, you’ve never heard of it. It’s famous for three things: The House That Jack Built, New England Patriots wide receiver, Joey Galloway, and the home of Three’s Company star Joyce DeWitt.” She’s also an alumnus of the University of the District of Columbia and University of Maryland University College, earning a B.A. in Economics and M.B.A., respectively.

Filed Under: guest post, The Literary Road Trip Tagged With: K.L. Brady

Green Books Campaign Recap

November 13, 2009 by Serena

I read an enjoyable work of fiction for Shaila Abdullah (click here for my review) for the Green Books Campaign on Nov. 10 when 100 bloggers joined hands to post 100 reviews on the same day.

But I wanted to highlight some of the other great reviews from the campaign and some of the great books I found.

Air Pollution Revolution Campaign reviewed Greening Your Small Business by Jennifer Kaplan, and here’s what captured my attention about the review and the book:

“This encyclopedia of green tips should be found in the desk drawer of every entrepreneur looking to reduce his business’ carbon footprint and/or trying to appeal to an environmentally concerned clientele.”

At Home With Books reviewed Art and Upheaval by William Cleveland, and here’s what Alyce had to say:

“If you would have asked me those questions prior to reading Art and Upheaval I would responded hesitantly, saying that art is beautiful, but I’m not sure if it is something that can change lives. After reading this book though, I have been convinced of the importance of art and its power when it is used by citizens of a community to communicate ideas that will foster healing and unity.”

LilianaLand! reviewed The Dead Can’t Dance by Pam Calabrese MacLean, a collection of poems, and here’s what she had to say:

“You’d have thought that it’d be weird reading stories written in the form of poems, but it’s not. They evoke such contrasting emotions in the different stories: joy and amusement, and in the next instance, sorrow.”

The Not so Closet Geeks reviewed Only Milo by Barry Smith, check out these comments:

“Completely unpredictable, Only Milo is a highly shocking and enjoyable read. The novel is simple to read, but has enough surprises and thrills to keep any reader enthralled. Readers gain insight into the twisted mind of a murderer through a riveting and brilliantly executed plot.”

Bookstore People reviewed From Green to Gold by Harold Enrico, a book of poetry:

“This poetry collection is not only printed in a green manner, the poems themselves evoke an awareness of the beauty of nature and life. . . . Even more poignant for me was “Marston-Bigot, Somerset” which describes the antics of WWII soldiers on New Years Eve at a temporary encampment juxtaposed with the animals (badger, mole) that will continually be present in an ongoing cycle of life.”

Click on the above links for full reviews. There were so many great books reviewed during the campaign, but if you missed it, you can always check out the list of over 100 reviews, here.

What books did you find during the campaign? And have you entered my giveaway for Saffron Dreams by Shaila Abdullah?

Filed Under: announcements, Green Books Campaign

Green Books Campaign: Saffron Dreams by Shaila Abdullah

November 10, 2009 by Serena

Welcome to the Green Books Review Campaign, sponsored by Eco-Libris — logo was created by the talented Susan Newman. 100 bloggers, 100 books, 100 reviews — today at 1 PM EST.

We’re here to shed light on the publishers and books available on the market using recycled products and “green” practices. If you missed my initial post about the campaign, check it out now. For updates on the campaign, visit Eco-Libris’ blog.

Saffron Dreams by Shaila Abdullah is printed on 30 percent post-consumer waste and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified book paper. It is also one of the best books I’ve read in 2009. Stay tuned for giveaway information.

“Summer in Houston tastes like dirt, thick bellowing mounds of dust piling on and on until you can’t breathe anymore. Sometimes a squalling wind arrives, pressing its puckered lips to the window panes. Whooooo, it shrieks, whooooosh, and then it cavorts over the pile of dust, depositing it evenly in our miracle-less world. The rain that follows washes it all away, leaving behind an acerbic mustiness that lingers until September brings in the moldiness that I associate with loss, the dull snicker of an autumn past.” (Page 178)

A somber tone permeates Saffron Dreams from Arissa Illahi’s childhood to her present in 2006-2007, weaving in and out through her past and present. Abdullah’s narrative technique will hook readers and carry them alongside Arissa on her journey from Pakistan to America as she matures, marries, gives birth, and reconciles her culture and her religion with her new homeland — a homeland that has grown wary of Muslims following the 2001 terrorist attacks.

“With every horn or commotion guilt-ridden with sins they did not commit. They walked faster when alone. Some women took down their hijabs, afraid of being targeted, and adopted a conservative but Western style of dressing. Men cut their beards. Many postponed plans to visit the country of their origin any time soon. Those who did travel preferred to remain quiet during their journey and chose not to converse in their native language even among family members.” (Page 60)

Saffron’s bitter taste is present throughout the novel as Arissa is steeped in grief and guilt, but the fragrance of hay often associated with saffron lulls her character with memories. Ami, Arissa’s mother, was absent for much of her upbringing and her father allowed her to find love on her own terms. It is this family life that shapes her ideas about love, marriage, and family. Once married to Faizan Illahi, she finds happiness and revels in it, until her life is obliterated in 2001.

Abdullah delves deep into a wife’s guilt, particularly a wife who has adopted a nation as her home that would rather root her out and label her as the enemy. The dichotomy between religion and culture, mother and daughter, grief and survival are tangible and heart-wrenching. Some of the best elements in the story include parallels between art and writing and those two talents suffuse the narrative with a dreamlike quality.

Readers will get lost in Arissa’s grief and her confusion about starting anew. They will cheer her on as her determination takes over. Each chapter provides a date stamp to orient readers, but Arissa’s narrative shifts easily from past to present on more than one occasion as memories take over. Saffron Dreams is more than just an emotional journey of perseverance amid the most trying circumstances and tragic events, it is an evolution of one Muslim woman into a whole self, strong enough to stand alone and blossom.

Please check out the rest of the stops in the Green Books Campaign blog tour; there are a wide range of books from fiction to nonfiction and poetry to sustainable living guides.

I want to thank Shaila Abdullah and her publisher Modern History Press for sending along a free copy for me to review. Clicking on book titles and covers will bring you to my Amazon Affiliate page; no purchases are necessary.

Photo by Galina Stepanova

About the Author:

Shaila Abdullah was born in Karachi, Pakistan in 1971. She has a bachelors degree in English literature and a diploma in graphic design. She also has a diploma in freelance writing. She has written several short stories, articles, and personal essays for various publications, such as Maybe Quarterly, Damazine, Women’s Own, She, Fashion Collection, Dallas Child, Web Guru, About Families, Sulekha, Pakistaniaat, and a magazine of the Daily Dawn newspaper called Tuesday Review, etc. She is a member of the Writers’ League of Texas.

Also, please view her literature blog, her art blog, and her design blog.

Giveaway information: 1 copy, autographed for U.S. residents only

1. Leave a comment about what books you’ve found during the Green Books Campaign that you would buy.

2. Spread the word about the campaign and the giveaway via Twitter, Facebook, Blog, etc., and leave a comment with a link.

3. Followers receive five additional entries and new followers receive three extra entries.

Deadline is Nov. 17, 2009, at 11:59 PM EST

Filed Under: fiction, giveaway, Green books, Green Books Campaign, Read in 2009, review copy, reviews Tagged With: Saffron Dreams, Shaila Abdullah

Green Books Campaign, Nov. 10

November 6, 2009 by Serena

Design credit: Susan Newman

Avid readers need to create the demand necessary to spur publishers to use “green” publication methods and materials. Readers encourage publishers to reduce the sector’s carbon footprint simply by purchasing books made from “green” materials and through environmentally friendly practices.

As part of this effort, 100 online book reviewers — including Savvy Verse & Wit and Diary of an Eccentric — and 35 publishers from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom have come together for one day — November 10, 2009 — to celebrate “green” books at the behest of Eco-Libris. The goal of the campaign is to encourage readers and publishers to ensure that books are printed responsibly and book purchases are “greener.”

Only 0.23 percent of publishers are committed to increasing the number of books made on recycled paper, according to Eco-Libris. Moreover, only about 5 percent to 10 percent of paper used by book publishers is recycled. Meanwhile, the Book Industry Environmental Council announced that it was committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the publishing industry by 20 percent or to a 2006 baseline by the year 2020, and an 80 percent reduction by 2050.

“Although there’s so much hype around e-books, books printed on paper dominate the book market, and we want them to be as environmentally sound as possible,” explains Raz Godelnik, co-founder and CEO of Eco-Libris. “Very few books are currently printed responsibly and we hope this initiative will bring more exposure to “green” books. Through this campaign we want to encourage publishers to get greener and readers to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books.”

Julie Christopher, Senior Marketing Manager at Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing — one of the participating publishers– says, “The mission of the Little Green Books series is to plant the seeds of earth-friendly living at an early age, and we were delighted to work with Eco-Libris on the campaign to help to spread this important message.”

As environmental issues continue to make headlines and paper-based books remain the dominant form on the market, Eco-Libris and online book reviewers want to call attention to those books that are made from recylced materials and FSC-certified paper. Books reviewed on Nov. 10, 2009, at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time by the online bloggers range from nonfiction and fiction to poetry and cookbooks.

For more information and a list of participating blogs, please visit the Web site for the Green Books Campaign. See you on Nov. 10, 2009, at 1 p.m. EST.

Filed Under: Eco-Libris, Green Books Campaign