Blonde Roots

Blonde Roots
by Bernardine Evaristo
288 pages
Riverhead Hardcover
January 2009

The premise is that back in the day of slavery ships and wealthy slave owners, the roles were reversed. African's owned lands in Ambrosia where European indentured servants were transported (yes, middle passage and all). Europeans take on the exact role that Africans really did have in history. They are viewed as being dumb, ugly, savage-like, and not having human ties to their offspring.

Blonde Roots follows one Englishwoman (Doris) who is kidnapped from her family of cabbage farmers while playing outside with her siblings. She is taken to Ambrosia and only dreams of getting back home. She is torn from her family and displaced into slavery and the bonds and ties that brings. Half way through the book (or part way) we hear the story for a little while from the perspective of the slave owner, Bwana and then back to Doris, the slave for the conclusion.

Bernardine Evaristo wrote this portrayal in a modern way, using modern slang and things that would not have existed at all then, which is acutally something I partially appreciated. The writing is interesting, and the concept is stunning. The idea of the novel is strong, but in my opinion not well executed. I felt it horribly lacking in power. I never felt connected to Doris, the other slaves or the slave owners...and I wanted that! I didn't care really if they even made it that is how much I just felt her writing fell flat thus not allowing me to form emotional bonds with the characters.

One thing that I did find interesting is that over and over I had to remind myself that the slaves where Europeans! Whenever I am reading a book I have an image in my mind of the characters and what is happening. In Blonde Roots I kept realising that in my mind's eye I kept reversing the roles to the way that they actually were. I felt bad at first that I kept switching it back and didn't know if that would make me look horrid to confess that on here. I thought about it and really came to understand that my mind just was stuck in a rut, as it is really hard for me to imagine the roles reversed! And yet, that is the way it could have been!

There were many good things about this book, but as I am an avid lover of good character development and well formed plots....I can't say I feel that Bernadine Evaristo ended up giving her novel the potential that it had in concept. I felt immensely confused and disconnected against my own will.

What do you think of the concept, doesn't it sound like a great book from the outside!?!


Other reader views:
Kittling Books
At Home with Books
(Have you reviewed it? let me know!)

Twilight

Twilight
by Stephenie Meyer
544 pages
Fiction, YA, Fantasy

If you haven't decided to dive into this YA vampire series yet, then I don't think that I could possibly write a review that would wet your lips. I have read the reivews of how intreguing, interesting and entertaining these books are and yes, I decided to read it too. I'm not going to do my regular review, I decided to do a list of likes and dislikes instead.

Spoilers!!
What I liked:
*It was a good entertaining read
*I was mystified by the vampire plot
*The storyline was interesting.
*I liked that Edward didn't give in to Bella's nagging to make her a vampire. It would have ruined the story for me. I am not saying that it wouldn't eventually make sense, but in this first book it just didn't feel right. Yay Eddie!
*I liked how he saved her all the time, heroes...I can't get over searching for heroes.


What I didn't like:
*Bella was too much for me, and was really whinny.
*The concept that Bella was completely lying to everyone that she loved before Edward, I think that is a BAD idea to get into kids' heads. The mentality that parents don't have a clue what they are going through, and wouldn't understand if they did. I resent that mentality among today's youth and did even when I was a youth.

End Spoilers

I think I may be almost the last bookie to resist this series, but now I am in. I was explaining why it was interesting to my husband when he asked me. I said, " Well, it is entertaining, interesting, an alternate reality and I think that is attractive. Still I feel as though Meyer wrote it with the intention of having it end up in the theaters and that bothers me a little. The Writing is okay, but I think a little too descriptive using the same words over and over. So it is good, but not great...more like a film than a book in my opinion". Still it is entertaining and I want to read the rest of them, well at least I want to read the next one. I think it is fine to read some books because of their entertainment value, and really....Edward and vampires are very interesting to me!

Twilight questions for you!!
Are you still holding out on this saga? why? If you have read the books, which is your favourite? This one felt a little too informative (as in setting up the plot with how all the vampires came to be and such) do the next ones move more quickly? Did you like Bella or were you annoyed by her like me? On a scale of 1-10 how dreamy do you find Edward (if you imagine yourself back in highschool)? For me, huh...I would guess if I were in highschool he'd be a 9.

The Survivors Club

Title: The Survivors Club
Author: Ben Sherwood
Pages: 400
Genre: Non-Fiction, Self Help

We all face difficult situations, but some people are resilient and some are not. Who is able to come out of tragedy or overcome a circumstance and survive? Survivors. Ben Sherwood describes survivors as those making the best of their remaining days no matter if it is 50 years after the situation or 3 days. They are overcomers, people who move on, walk forward with head held high. Sherwood interviews people who have overcome all different types of struggles, and obstacles and whom he considers to be survivors. At the end of the book the reader has the opportunity to see if he/she is a survivor and what are the strengths that she/he relies on to make it through tough times.

I LOVED this book. There is so much about The Survivors Club that appealed to me. It resolves mystery, gives explanations of ways the mind works, and brings psychology to the forefront of the study. I have always (well since Highschool) been interested why people survive when others don't. Some people go through hard times over and over and they aren't any worse for the ware, then other people seem to hit a slight speed bump and their whole world goes out the window. What is the difference between the two? How can someone survive the holocaust and then another person cannot cope with the death of a pet? The Survivors Club argues that it depends on resiliency, and if you are a survivor and good at coping or if you aren't. The most effective survivors reach deep within themselves and find the strength to live through it, whatever the 'it' may be.

I was captivated by each section and chapter of this book, I listened to it on audiobook (thanks to hatchette audio) and found myself looking forward to the next time I would have a chance to listen to the next chapter. At the end there is a survivor IQ test which is available for the reader to take online, I took it and it was an incredible portrayal of who I am. I had my husband look at it and he agreed that it was very accurate. If you reach the end and take the test and the results come back that you are not a survivor, there are things that you can do to learn how to start becoming one.

This wasn't my typical book, I am a fiction fanatic...but this was really worth my time. I think I may even have to grab a hard copy so that I can underline and re-read it- It is worth it for sure!


Giveaway:
I have 3 copies to give away. After you win you can let me know which format you'd be interested in (audio book or hardcover book). Sorry no PO boxes and only US and Canada residents please.

To enter the giveaway post a comment below through the 7th of March telling me who you have most admired for their survival mentality, or their ability to be positive no matter the circumstance.

organisation

This week’s question is suggested by Kat:

“How do you arrange your books on your shelves? Is it by author, by genre, or you just put it where it falls on?”

Oh, I do it by colour!!! No, sorry...I have always thought that would be more fun, but I have them placed alphabetically by author. Boring, but it works!

I have some pictures, here.

meme-o-my!

What are your middle names?
My middle name is Leah, Brad's is Keith.

How long have you been together?
We’ve been together for nine years, married for seven.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?

We had been really good friends for a year before we started dating. I had told him about my crushes (he says breaking his heart) while I had no idea that he felt that way for me. When I found out I felt sooooo bad!

Who asked whom out?
Because we were really good friends, it kind of just happened. He definitely asked me on the dates and stuff though, it was cute, we were both so nervous.

How old are each of you?
I'm 28 and he is 27.

Whose siblings do you see the most?
Neither really, his sister lives in NY and my brother lives in OC. We used to see my brother more often, but then he got transferred to a new army post. We miss them.

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
Family issues, mother-in-laws that are TOO involved. No doubt. It is pretty much better now though.

Did you go to the same school?
We didn't until College, then yes. We both went to the same junior college and then to the same University. We got married out sophomore year.

Are you from the same home town?
No, I came to Corvallis to go to Oregon State University. I grew up in Spain though.

Who is smarter?
No one. There are two kinds of smarts, Brad has the book smarts and I have the street smarts (practical smarts as we call them). I would say though, that we really are pretty even.

Who is the most sensitive?
I don't know, sometimes him, sometimes me.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Indian, Thai and pizza are probably our favourites, bit that is because that is what is here. We love anything foreign and different from what we eat every day.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Spain, to visit my parents. I can't wait to head back (please, please soon!?)

Who has the craziest exes?
Neither really. I had an incident with his ex girlfriend when we (Brad and I) were friends. She hassled me in a coffee shop telling me that I shouldn't be there with Brad, but they had broken up over 5 months before that! After that though, no more excitement for us :)

Who has the worst temper?
Well, in the beginning it was Brad, he grew up with parents that went at eachother a lot. Now neither of us really have a temper, we both can still be seriously grouchy though.

Who does the cooking?
I do mostly, he does it sometimes as a treat or if I will be going out. It really isn't his thing though.

Who is the neat-freak?
He is.

Who is more stubborn?
Both of us. We are getting better at compromise though!

Who hogs the bed?
Brad.

Who wakes up earlier?
Brad. I love my sleep and I stay up late reading....I try but I just turn off the alarm. Hopeless.

Where was your first date?
Our first non-friend date was at a fancy Italian restaurant. I don't remember the name.

Who is more jealous?
Me.

How long did it take to get serious?
Once we were dating, we knew we'd get married. He said something, and I felt exactly the same way. Perfect-o!

Who eats more?

Brad. I eat way more candy though.

Who does the laundry?
I do.

Who’s better with the computer?

Me.

Who drives when you are together?
We take turns. Whoever doesn't drive has to deal with the boys in the back, so it is sometimes easier to just be the driver. The boys have gotten to be better travelers now though.

If you want to answer the questions go for it! I don't usually do these, but it was fun to read the other answers out there and so I decided to do one too.

Just ask if you have any other questions that you'd like me to answer! :)

The Misadventures of Oliver Booth

Title: The Misadventures of Oliver Booth: Life in the Lap of Luxury
Author: David Desmond
Pages:224
Genre: Fiction, Humor
Yearly Count:12

Oliver Booth craves wealth, acknowledgment and prestige yet he goes about it in all the wrong ways. The more he scams and tries to pry up into the world that he admires the more it detests him and his slyness. He is the arrogant owner of a supposedly high-quality shop filled with "hecho en Mexico" reproductions. His luck goes from bad to worse when one of the bigshots- Margaret Van Buren sends him and his new assistant to France to purchase some furniture for her guest house. Booth's arrogance even when he has no clue of the language, culture or area get him into even bigger trouble. All his problems are not without the meddling of his assistant, who more than anyone would like to see him fail.

Oliver Booth is not a character with good qualities, and then when his assistant enters the scene I had high hopes for him. Once I saw that his only intent was getting whatever he could claw away from Booth in order to impress their boss Mrs. Van Buren I lost hope. I need at least one person in the book to look at and admire, this one was just a rat race. As much as I know that is probably more realistic, this didn't do it for me. I was expecting more depth than this gave, more depth of character, more depth of something and it was not there.

In parts it was funny, but soon bashing on Oliver Booth's weight wasn't humorous anymore. I started to feel worse for him because it seemed that everyone wanted to tear him down. It distressed me more than made me laugh. I understand that he got what was coming, but it was too much to watch. Not my cup 'o tea.

Was it yours? Tell me about it.

Other Reviews:
Ramya's Bookshelf
Bermuda Onion's Weblog
The Book Nook
Book Chatter and Other Stuff

Forever Lily

Title: Forever Lily: An Unexpected Mother's Journey to Adoption in China
Author: Beth Nonte Russell
Pages: 240
Genre: Personal Memoir, Adoption
Yearly Count: 11

Beth Nonte Russell shares her story in this personal memoir of her voyage to China with her friend Alex. Alex has been trying to adopt a baby from China for a year and a half, when she gets the approval she chooses her friend Beth to go with her. Beth feels she is an unlikely choice, as they are just casual friends and she hasn't been very close in the last several months, but never a woman to turn down an adventure she agrees.

Alex goes throughout a series of doubt and withdrawals while they are in china, she says she just, "doesn't love this baby". The author takes the reader through her own roller coaster of emotions which are choreographed all too well with the manipulation of her friend Alex. She wants the baby, then she doesn't, wants it, then doesn't- the whole time Beth is falling more and more in love with this delightful baby girl. What could be her fate if not brought back to America? She is already months behind in physical and mental development, and soon will probably just fail to thrive.

I wished I would fall in love with this book, and I didn't. I thought it was interesting, but it was too much about the relationship between the two American women and not enough about the baby's or the orphanages or china. The little glimpses of those things that are there are beautiful and a joy to read about. All of the internal wars between the women- that is something that I could have done without. I think that if you were really interested in international adoption it might be different. This one just wasn't for me, I would have preferred the author to tell of a different adoption that wasn't so much about her relationship with Alex, more about their family, and how the girl ended up being integrated into their family.

Also (not to rip on it) but throughout the book there are dreams, dreams that are supposed to be her past connection with this particular child. It was too strange (and disjointed) and didn't really work for me.

What did you think? Did you read it and love it? How do you do when you have to write negative reviews? I can't make all my reviews glowing, and I do not make apologies, this one just wasn't for me.

Other Blogger Reviews:
The Book Nest
The Written Word
Ramya's Bookshelf
Book Chatter and Other Stuff

The Book Thief

Title: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
Pages: 560
Genre: YA Literature, Holocaust
Yearly Count: 10
A Happy Chicken Award Winner!

I knew this was going to be good before I started reading it. Sometimes that makes me jaded and I don't enjoy a book as much as I could have, it is almost as if it has been ruined by expectations of how it was going to be good and if it isn't good in those ways I am let down and disappointed. The Book Thief was good enough, in all areas that that wasn't a problem, it was well rounded and real, honest and humble and yet Zusak took those leaps that jumped it into greatness. It could have been just good, it covered a strong subject matter and that could have been just good enough, but I felt he pushed beyond all that and catapulted The Book Thief to go down in history.

I don't want to spoil it for anyone, so cover your ears and hum if you want to read this and you haven't read it yet. No, I won't spoil it. But one thing that I can tell you is that the omniscient narrator is death, or an angel of death. I thought that sounded too spooky before reading it but it really isn't. It is real, it is life- that death comes to us all.

Spoiler

I couldn't and still cannot get over the ending, or the last phrase in the book, "I am haunted by humans" (p. 550) I loved what this conveyed to me, what it made me understand. Several times throughout the book the narrator speaks of thinks that should be beautiful as ugly, and he uses the word 'ugly' in strange ways throughout The Book Thief. I came to understand thoguh, that this last phrase of the book is both good and bad, he is haunted by our beauty and attracted to the good that we can do, and also by the harm we cause each other, the pain.

Death is what we tend to fear, death is scary and cold but for me the point of the book was that what are fellow humans can do to us is worse than death, worse than uncertainty. I thought it was also interesting because death is attracted to humans, he has a job in life and has a need to perform when death comes to people, he is programmed and just does that. The beautiful side of humans is that we do have a free choice, a will and we get to make the call between walking in beauty and walking in brutality. It makes both extremes so much more severe because we do not HAVE to do either, we choose good, or bad and our choices affect those around us even if we don't want them to.

Spoiler end

The perfect ending to me is that which Zusak leaves unsaid- to have an ending where you just close the book sit in silence and think of all the immensity of it all. That is what a good book, great book should do to you. That is why I believe The Book Thief is one of the best books I have ever read, I'd say in my top 5 now. And that is saying a lot coming from me, since I abhor jumping on any sort of bandwagon. Heaven help me!

What about you do you automatically try to dislike things that EVERYONE else likes? Or do you just not read them or watch them? I still haven't seen the Titanic (yep the one with Leo DiCaprio) I am stubborn, and the only reason I haven't see it is that, well I didn't want to jump on that bandwagon!! (I was much more hardcore in high school!) Do you do that or is it just me?

I give it my biggest two thumbs up, the happy chicken award.





Make sure you enter my giveaway for Sundays at Tiffany's!

Pet Show

Title: Pet Show
Author: Ezra Jack Keats
Genre: Children's Classics

Loved it. Ezra Jack Keats has all of our votes. His images are kidlike- in that they make sense to the kids, and they are high quality and cleaver as well. The writing of this book is cool, calm and perfect. It is easy to sit back and enjoy Keats and his beautiful characters Archie and Peter in this classic.

Pet Show is about a place where there will be a judging of all the neighborhood pets, however Archie's pet Cat (the star from HI, Cat!) is missing. His mom tries to help him understand that Cat is not that reliable and cannot be asked to know when to appear for the show. Archie ends up staying home while Peter and the rest of his friends gather up their pets and head off to win some prizes. You'll have to read the rest on your own, as I wouldn't want to spoil the clever ending for anyone! It is pretty cute, the boys and I sat and enjoyed the story just as much as the artwork in this book.

I tremble at admitting this, but this is my first Ezra Jack Keats book! Yes, I know this isn't even the one that I see everywhere, The Snowy Day is THAT book. What do you think? Have you read Keats? Which is your favourite book?

Make sure you enter my giveaway!! I have tons of copies of Sundays at Tiffany's to give!

Visiting Langston

Title: Visiting Langston
Author: Willie Perdomo
Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Genre: Children's, African American
Awards: Coretta Scott King Award

These days it seems that quality in the writing is good, but many times it is not ready for kids. This book is an example, it is filled with poetry like writing, but yet because of that it hardly says what is most important for kids to learn- it just describes this girls visit to Langston Huges house with her father. The only information given about Langston is that he lived in this house, and enjoyed writing poetry. Seriously, that could be any number of people. I found the content of this book dumbed down for kids, but not challenging them in any way- and I have little kids! There is nothing about this book that will make me even want to read it again, nothing happens and nothing is explained.

However, because this is a kids book it has to be also reviewed based on the images worked onto the pages. As far as illustrations go, amazing. Collier uses different fabrics and mixed media to convey texture and life in this children's book. The illustrations are true art, very beautiful and classy-yet modern in appeal. They are worth looking at.

The words, skip them.

Make sure you enter my giveaway!! I have tons of copies of Sundays at Tiffany's to give!

Ben's Trumpet

Title: Ben's Trumpet
Author: Rachel Isadora
Awards: Caldecott Honor Book
Genre: Urban, Children
Published: 1979

I decided to pick up some books at the library this month in honour of Black History Month. I have read some others, but I fell in love with this one, Ben's Trumpet. It is the story of a boy who dreams in music form, the pictures are stunning and all done in black and white. My two little guys (3 and 5 years old) were entranced by the details of the art and loved the story as well.

Ben visits the Zig Zag Jazz Club every day. He goes there to watch the musicians work their magic, as music streams effortlessly through their drums, trombones, and saxophones however the one he most admires is the trumpeter. He has his own trumpet that he plays from the fire escape of his house, he is made aware by some other kids that it is just imaginary, not real, pretend stuff.

This is a story of sticking with something, following your own beat and having musical heroes. It is a book where kids are kids, a classic with its thick paper and high quality take-your-time feel. What can I say, my boys and I- well, we loved everything about this Caldecott Honor Book. It has earned its keep as it has a library card holder and is all ragged and loved. It was around 30 years ago, before all the library books were scanned. It is perfect. I know that when we bring it back I'll be itching to head to Powell's and get our own.

Which are your favourite kid books that you remember reading and re-reading?

Make sure you enter my giveaway!! I have tons of copies of Sundays at Tiffany's to give!

Advertisements- do they turn you off? Talk to me.

I am talking about those little amazon adds, or indie bookstore adds that try to get you to click and order so that the blog owner gets a percentage of the profits. Do you love them? Hate them? Ignore them? Run from them?

Okay, folks. I have been going back and forth, up and down on this subject of advertising on my blog. I still just haven't been able to set my feet on solid ground one way or another. Does advertising turn you off? Do you not care? Do you actually enjoy it?

Does it say something about the blogger when they have these adds? Does it make you think differently about that blogger, like they are in this for selfish reasons? Tell me- I won't bite!

Do you not know what I am talking about? On B&b ex libris it would look like this:


Does that bug you? Does it make you run away and never return? Tell me about it, please do share.

Tomato Girl

Title: Tomato Girl
Author: Jayne Pupek
Pages: 300
Genre: Fiction
Yearly Count: 9

This is the story of a family, a girl, a mother and a father who in a perfect world would have lived happily ever after, but not in Tomato Girl. Pupek does not cut corners or try to make life sound pretty or at all innocent. Ellie Sanders is a young girl, a preteen sweetie who tries her hardest to learn her mama's moods, act kind, and not be selfish. She feels it is because of her selfishness that bad things turn into worse things. Her mama is there for her some days, and others she tries to hurt herself, she tries to hurt others or just is not functional enough to have even the slightest common sense about life. Ellie and her father try to care for Julia, Ellie's mother, but the strains become heavier and heavier.

After a tragic accident she will never be the same, darkness has set into their home, because of Julia and Ellie will do her best to cope while it just won't go away. Then comes Tomato girl, a pretty teen who is broken herself and yet Ellie's father lusts after her. Ellie is torn between wanting to please her father and her feelings of hatred towards the Tomato girl. All she wishes is that they could get rid of the tomato girl and become the family that they once were, before the sadness set in, before life went wrong.

As much as I just couldn't put this book down, as well as it was written, and as true as the situations are to others who have lived in the midst of dysfunction and mental illness, it was seriously hard to read about. I loved Ellie and that is what made me stick to it, her voice is strong, she is no coward and she is left to take care of her mother out of love, yet she fears for her mother's life and her own. Fate begs her to grow up way before time, and then she will need to learn to un-grownup.

I have mixed feelings because it was hard for me to read, all the severity of the plot, and what was done to the characters, but still the writing was superb, the characters were true and Ellie, oh Ellie...she was brilliantly written and personified as that individual inside all of us who tries, and then tries harder- life gave her a truckload of lemons and she scrambled to get on top of the pile to start the process of lemonade. There is no way I can't recommend it, really there isn't. I think this would be a perfect book for so many, those who carry burdens, teachers, parents, counselors- really anyone who works with teens or kids. I recommend that you grab a copy and a warm blanket and have at it!

What about you? Do you recommend books that you had a hard time getting though, but at the end you can see why the journey was necessary? Sometimes I feel too strained, to stressed in my own life and then books like this bring things back into perspective. If we all only wanted to read happy books, what would be the point of that?! To understand your blessings you must understand the depths of despair. Don't do you think?

Author's Website: Jayne Pupek
Jayne Pupek's Blog: Notes on (the writing) Life

Here is the book trailer:

Sundays at Tiffany's

Title: Sundays at Tiffany's
Author: James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
Genre: fiction
Type: Audio Book
Yearly Count: 8
Pages: 320

An imaginary friend, a protector who watches out for your when you are little- could he be your only true love? I didn't pay much attention to the writing in this book, or if it was realistic, seriously does that first sentence sound realistic!? No. So it is more like super-hero imaginary friend tale, a story of a girl who lives her life pretty parallel (ie neglected) to all those around her, not by her choice by theirs. The only person who has stayed in her memory as loving and true. Jane's mother is famous, or at least too famous for her daughter and has had men in and out, four husbands- all men who didn't end up being good enough for her. Jane feels she will never measure up either, never dressed right, always eating too much, saying the wrong things and below par.

She catches a glimpse of her childhood imaginary friend and the story moves right on from there. I was so entranced by the story that I didn't worry if it seemed realistic, or if there were major flaws, I enjoyed it and while I was reading (and listening to it on audio book) I only cared about what happened, how Jane would end up and if she would love and be loved. There are twists that I wasn't expecting, but they made the story even more interesting. I didn't read this novel for its literary prose, or the picturesque portrayals- I read it to entertain me, and that it did.

I was actually really surprised at the completely mixed reviews this has gotten on Amazon. I tend to be right in the middle of where everyone else is rating the book, this time we are all over the map! I was caught up in it- entertained. I enjoyed reading this from cover to cover, it was different, lovely and mysterious and far-fetched, still wholly pure delight. Seriously this guy/angel/imaginary friend knows everything about Jane and loves her still. That is so precious, so unconditional and just what we all need. He loves to see her eat, to see her enjoy life, to see her happy- who of us wouldn't want that!?

Audiobook version:

I read (listened to) the audio version of this for most of the book. This was an audiobook done well, I loved the reader's voice (actress Ellen Archer) and I thought she did an exceptional reading. I can't imagine a better voice to read this book, it was sweet. Yay for Hachette Audio!

Are there books where you didn't worry about the style, the prose, the descriptions? For me it happens when I don't mean for it too, I just get caught up and forget to be critical. That could be a good thing right? I know that I am a book reviewer, but more importantly I am a book reader and a book lover. Do you always notice flaws? Which books have you gotten caught up in so much so that you didn't think to criticize?

Giveaway:
I have 5 copies of the paperback Sundays at Tiffany's to giveaway (thanks to Hachette Book Group) as well as 3 copies of the audiobook version by Hachette Audio. It is almost Valentine's Day, this is the perfect time to read this amazingly sweet and improbably romance.

Comment on this post and let me know if you would rather win the paperback version or the audio version, if you don't care tell me that too. No PO boxes, US and Canada residents only, and peeps I am so sorry about that. You have through the 18th to comment with an answer to this question: What was your best date ever? Explain why. (If you don't have the perfect date to describe- make up the perfect date! :)

ps. I don't notify winners via email, so if you want to know if you have won make sure to check back that day, or better yet- add me to your reader and you won't miss any giveaways!

upcoming reviews

The Book Thief by Marks Zusak
Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson
Tomato Girl by Jayne Pupek

Have you read these? I will tell you which (in my opinion) are worth your time :)