Winners of "On Folly Beach"!

Congratulations to the two very lucky winners of a copy of On Folly Beach by Karen White! The winners are:

# 15 skkorman
# 23 Swedish

Winners, I've sent you an e-mail, please respond within 48 hours. Thank-you to everyone who entered!

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. Each week we share what books made their way into our mailboxes, and what we did to keep the delivery services viable! Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to overflowing TBR piles and huge wish lists!

After a couple of slow weeks (which gave me a chance to catch up on my review books a little!), I received 10 new additions to my TBR (which includes one duplicate)!!!! I'm over the moon, as these are all books that I can't wait to dive into (oh, summer and two months off from work, hurry up!!). Here's what I got:

The Truth About Delilah Blue by Tish Cohen from HarperCollins- after reading (and loving!) Inside Out Girl, I can't wait to read this one.

The Lovers: A Novel by Vendela Vida from HarperCollins- I accidentally received two copies of this one, so one of you lucky book lovers will be winning a copy!

My Fair Lazy by Jen Lancaster from Penguin Canada- A memoir about the reality TV generation? I'm in!

Promises to Keep by Jane Green from Penguin Canada- Can you believe that I've never read a Jane Green? Well, that's about to change :)

Still The One by Robin Wells from the Hachette Book Group

The Accidental Bestseller by Wendy Wax from Joan Schulhafer Publishing & Media Consulting- I love the cover of this one and can't wait to actually be reading it on the beach!

The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch from BookSparksPR- I'm almost halfway through this one and loving it (look for my review this week!)

She's Gone Country by Jane Porter from BookSparksPR

Pieces of Happily Ever After by Irene Zutell from BookSparksPR- Ever since Emily Giffin gave this one her nod of approval, I've been lusting after it!

That was everything in my mailbox last week, what was in yours?

Review: "Girl in Translation" by Jean Kwok

Kimberly Chang and her mother move from Hong Kong to New York when Kimberly is just 11. They don't know English, they move into an apartment in the projects as dictated by Kimberly's aunt, Paula, and they're not quite sure why they moved there in the first place. Kimberly is enrolled in a decent public school by using a fake address, but finds it difficult to adapt to public school in New York, considering the fact that she has little grasp of the English language. Kimberly's talents in school begin to shine through, though, as she learns English and makes a best friend, Annette.

While Kimberly shines in school, her mother remains working at a clothing sweatshop, illegally paid by the piece instead of the hour. Kimberly joins her mother after school at the factory, not only because there's no one to watch her at home but also because her mother needs the help in order to get orders out in time. As Kimberly grows up and begins excelling in school, she quickly figures out that her school life and home life need to be kept separate, as none of her classmates will understand the poverty in which she lives. She also meets and falls in love with Matt, a fellow factory worker with ambitions very different from her own, and ultimately, she must make decisions that will shape her future in the US.

Girl in Translation is so raw, so filled with emotion, that I often forgot that I was reading a work of fiction and thought that I was reading a memoir instead. In fact, the experiences that Jean Kwok created felt so real that I believe that there are threads of truth sewn throughout the book. When Kimberly and her mother first move to New York they are under the "protection" of Aunt Paula, her mother's sister, who treats them with nothing but disdain. Aunt Paula sets them up in an apartment with no working heat, broken windows, and a multitude of cockroaches, and expects them to be grateful. When they inquire if there are other, more livable apartments available, Aunt Paula gives them flimsy excuses as to why there's nothing available at the moment. The scenes where Kimberly and her mother are huddled under a pile of all of their clothes in the freezing cold, with the oven opened for warmth, felt so real and so horrible.

Perhaps one of the reasons that I felt so connected to the character of Kimberly, despite the fact that we have nothing in common, was because Kwok used an interesting technique in her writing. She often spelled words phonetically, so that the reader got a feel for how foreign English words can sound to someone who doesn't know the language. For example, hurt became hot, overwhelming became over woman, and real estate became really state.

Kwok has written a gripping and powerful book about the reality of immigration and also about how the choices we make can shape our future. I can't wait to read what she comes out with next! Thank-you to Penguin's Exclusive Reads for this review copy!

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Fans of thought-provoking fiction, those who enjoy learning about other cultures
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010

Guest Post by Wendy Wax and Contest Announcement!

I am so pleased to welcome Wendy Wax, author of The Accidental Bestseller and Magnolia Wednesdays to The Book Chick! Today Wendy tells us about her favourite beach:

Wendy: "Jonita asked me about my favorite beach, and I have to confess that despite years of seeking out beaches wherever I find myself, I’m still madly in love with the beach I grew up on.


St. Petersburg Beach, on the west central coast of Florida is a comma shaped barrier island that curves into the Gulf of Mexico. It was beautiful all year round, but the summers were especially wonderful. We spent most days at a beach hotel owned by family friends, where the moms played cards and the children, well, romped.

Some of my earliest memories include holding my breath. Family lore has it that I learned to swim before I could walk. I’m not sure if that’s actually true, but I do remember standing on the edge of the deep end where I would wait until people were watching (I guess I’ve always loved an audience) and then throw myself into the swimming pool and swim underwater to the other end where I’d come up for air to adult gasps of relief. I could and did spend hours in the pool doing handstands and trying to talk underwater clearly enough to be understood. Then there were the summersaults — how many you could complete without having to come up for air was a matter of pride. I’m happy to report that it looks like not breathing while ingesting large quantities of chlorine has had no long term effects.

Those long, hot summer days were spent eating ice cream sandwiches and racing across the sand between the hotel’s freshwater pool and the salty gulf with occasional stops to build sand castles or dig for coquinas. Other days we’d cartwheel down the hard packed sand near the waters’ edge for what seemed like miles.

During the school year, I went to the aptly named Sunshine Elementary, where we had a fish broil every fall and art class and P.E. sometimes took place on the beach.

My mother used to say that people who lived there had ‘sand in their shoes.’ I thought she meant this literally; after all there was sand everywhere—and not just in our shoes!

It took me a long time to realize that she was referring to the pace at which everyone and everything moved—or didn’t. I grew up assuming that everyone lived across the street from the beach under the shade of palm trees and spent hours perfecting their underwater summersaults. And by the time I’d finished high school, I couldn’t wait to leave for somewhere more exciting. It took going away to fully appreciate how lucky I’d been to grow up in such an incredible place. I’ve searched out sandy spots around the globe, and never found a beach I liked more.

Because I consider myself something of a beach aficionado, I fell in love with the cover for The Accidental Bestseller, which just came out in mass market paperback, the moment I saw it. I especially love the mental image it evokes: me on a stretch of white sandy beach (you KNOW which one) with a great read in my hands.

It’s a good thing I wasn’t asked to design that cover. The Accidental Bestseller is about four writer friends who help each other survive the publishing industry. It’s a real insider’s look at what it is to be a writer today, and as I wrote it I kept envisioning writing images; you know all those really scintillating cover visuals like fingers on a keyboard and a blank screen with an impatient cursor pulsing in the upper left hand corner. Fortunately, the art department was far savvier; instead of the process, they focused on the end result—a great beach read.

Since I wish I were on the beach right now, I’m running a contest for those of you lucky enough to actually get to one. Submit a picture of you reading The Accidental Bestseller on the beach—any beach—at http://www.authorwendywax.com/ and I’ll post it on Facebook and enter you in a drawing for a beach bag full of some of my favorite books.

And while we’re talking beaches, I’d love to hear about your favorite beach and what it is that makes it so special to you."

Jonita: In answer to Wendy's question, my favourite beach is the one in West Lake, Ontario. I've been to that beach many, many times in my 28 years, and it evokes nothing but wonderful memories. On the other hand, I'm lucky to live less than 15 minutes away from Turkey Point, Ontario, a beach that my kids and I absolutely love visiting in the summer. We try to visit at least twice a week while I'm off from work in the summer (oh, the joys of driving a school bus!). We love it so much that my husband and I had our wedding pictures done there when we got married on July 19, 2008. One of my favourite memories of our wedding day was standing on the beach with my brand- new husband as the boats parked nearby honked in celebration. We didn't know the people who owned the boats, but we were glad to have them as a part of our day. When my copy of the brand-new paperback edition of The Accidental Bestseller arrives, I'll go down to Turkey Point and convince my kids to take a picture of me reading the book for Wendy's contest - I'll post it here as well. Now for more on the contest:

In celebration of the release of The Accidental Bestseller in paperback (and the fabulous beachy cover!), Wendy Wax is holding a "Match the Cover" contest. Take a picture of yourself reading The Accidental Bestseller on the beach- any beach!- by August 1st and you'll be entered in a draw to win a beach bag full of books by some of her favourite authors!

After you take the picture, visit http://www.authorwendywax.com/, click on 'Join Wendy's e-mail list', fill in the form, attach the picture, hit submit, and voila! You'll be entered to win the prize, and Wendy will also post your picture on her Facebook page. Make sure that you 'friend' her so that you can see your shot! Sounds like fun to me (and it's a great excuse to make a trip to the beach!). So what are you waiting for? Start snapping those pictures and good luck!!!

Giveaway: "Still the One" by Robin Wells

From the Publisher's Website:

"Robin Wells takes us back to Chartreuse, Louisiana, for a deeply moving story of forgiveness and second chances.

After Katie Charmaine's husband is killed in Iraq, all she has left is a closet full of his clothes, a few pictures, and fond memories. She not only lost her love, but her last chance to have the children she's always wanted. Until Zack Ferguson shows up in town . . . with the daughter Katie gave up for adoption nearly seventeen years ago.

Zack Ferguson has never forgotten Katie, or the one magical night they spent together. Seeing her again brings up a tidal wave of emotions: regret over the way he left her, anger at the secret she kept, and desire he hasn't felt in years. But he's in town for Gracie. Their daughter is sixteen, angry at the world, and-worst of all-pregnant. She needs the love of her two parents now more than ever. Can these three forgive the hurts of the past and open their hearts to each other?"

About the Author:
Before becoming a full-time writer, Robin Wells was an advertising and public-relations executive. Robin has won the RWA Golden Heart Award, two National Readers' Choice Awards, the Holt Medallion, and CRW's Award of Excellence.

Robin currently lives just outside of New Orleans, Louisiana with her husband and two daughters.

For more information please visit http://www.robinwells.com/

Check out 5 fun facts about Still the One
Read an Excerpt
Reading Group Guide

Thanks to Anna at the Hachette Book Group, I have three copies of Still the One to give away! To enter:
1. Just for fun, tell me which book you're most looking forward to reading this summer. It can be released or unreleased, it doesn't matter! Please leave me your e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win. No e-mail = no entry!

2. *Bonus Entry* Become a follower through Google Friend Connect and leave me a seperate comment to let me know that you follow. Current followers are eligible as well, just let me know that you already follow.

3. *Bonus Entry* Spread the word about this contest! You can do whatever you would like: a blog post, a Tweet, post it on your blog's sidebar or Facebook it. Just leave me a comment letting me know what you did.

This contest runs until June 13, 2010 at midnight. It is open to US and Canadian addresses only, no PO Boxes please! Winners will be contacted by e-mail after the contest closing date. Good luck!

Review: "Small Change" by Sheila Roberts

I was at the library the other day, picking up my reserved copy of The Swimming Pool by Holly LeCraw, when I saw a copy of Small Change by Sheila Roberts that was calling my name. I picked it up for two reasons: 1. The cover was cute! 2. It's all about three friends who need to try and save money, for varying reasons. I love to save money! (Check out my blog all about saving money on food over at Duzzee.ca!).

Rachel, Tiffany, and Jessica all have money problems. Rachel is a divorced mother of two who is losing her temporary teaching job. Her ex-husband and his new girlfriend seem determined to buy their children's love, and Rachel feels the need to keep up with them. Tiffany has filled the hole in her life left by two miscarriages with "stuff", and shopping takes up much of her time. When her husband finds out about her secret credit cards, will he stick around? Jessica has been a stay-at-home mom for years, but her kids are all grown up now and her husband finds himself out of a job. Either Jessica finds something soon, or else they'll have to move to Ohio. These three women, both friends and neighbors, band together and are determined to find ways to save and make more money. The journey won't be easy, but in the end they may learn more about themselves than they thought.

Small Change was a fun, fairly entertaining book. I enjoyed the fact that the women in this book aren't perfect, and that they continue to slip up with their spending despite the fact that they are holding one another accountable. The three women are so different, and all have different problems related to money, so it's interesting to read about how they all cope. Roberts' humour shines through and she had me laughing out loud.

The only problem that I had with the book was that, at times, I found the dialogue a little stiff. I've read so many absolutely fantastic books lately that I find myself comparing anything that I read to them, so any stiffness in dialogue or writing bothers me. I also found it a little bothersome that whenever one of the women had a problem, they dealt with it by breaking out the chocolate. Don't ask me why I found that annoying because I've done that myself, but it seemed to me that it was the only way that they dealt with things.

Overall I would recommend this one if you're looking for a light beach read. There are some serious moments in here, but rest assured that there is a happy ending.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Fans of women's fiction
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, 2010 Support Your Local Library Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010

Mailbox Monday on a Tuesday!

Yesterday we spent the day celebrating Victoria Day and my son H.'s 5th birthday (Happy Birthday, Babe! Mom loves you!) with family and friends (and pizza, cupcakes, and a campfire!), so I kind of forgot that it was a Monday! So, I'm posting my mailbox on a Tuesday!!

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. Each week we share what we found in our mailboxes last week, but be warned: Mailbox Monday can lead to towering TBR piles and huge wish lists!!!!

Last week I received one new addition to the ol' TBR: Some Great Thing by Lawrence Hill. After having read his award-winning novel The Book of Negroes, I'm excited to dig into his latest offering.

What was in your mailbox last week?

Review: "Heart of the Matter" by Emily Giffin

I'm pretty proud of myself: I waited two whole days before going out and buying Emily Giffin's latest, Heart of the Matter. It took a superhuman effort not to pre-order it, but my library had a copy on order, and I was trying to wait to buy it until it came out in paperback (my preferred format). Hubby saw me looking longingly at it on Amazon, though, and told me to buy it for myself as a late Mother's Day present. It didn't take much convincing, and I made a happy trip to the bookstore the next morning.

I've loved Emily Giffin's books since I first picked up Something Borrowed. Something Blue quickly became my favourite book of hers, and Love the One You're With and Baby Proof were good, but not as good as I had hoped. However, Heart of the Matter is, in my opinion, her best book to date. The subject matter is not as light as her previous books, but the depth of emotion and the skill with which she writes is incredible.

I'm going to be deliberately vague when describing this book, since the publisher's description is as well. Part of what made this book so compelling was discovering the various details of the plot on my own, and not having someone spoil it for me ahead of time. What I will say is that Heart of the Matter is written from the viewpoints of two very different women: Tessa Russo is the mother of two young children and married to a skilled pediatric surgeon. She has recently quit her job so that she can stay at home and focus on being a mom, but her decision has left her with a vague dissatisfaction. Valerie Anderson is a single mother to six-year-old Charlie, as well as an attorney. She's fairly satisfied with her life, but can't shake the feeling that something is missing. One night the lives of these two women intersect, and nothing will be the same for them again. (And for those who are wonderding, yes, Rachel and Dex do make a guest appearance!).

As I mentioned, Heart of the Matter is one of Emily Giffin's best books to date. She conveys such emotion with her words- at parts of the book I literally gasped out loud, finding it almost painful to continue reading the story. I felt as though I was experiencing the things that the characters were; that's how involved I was.

Giffin also takes a difficult situtation, one where there is not a wrong or a right answer, and tries to present two views without ever choosing sides. Women will sympathize with both main characters despite themselves. I had a favourite viewpoint, given the choices I've made in life, but towards the end I felt sympathy for the other character as well. Now that's powerful writing!

It's hard to review a book and remain vague, but I really don't want to give anything away. Giffin takes a story that has been done before and adds a fresh spin to it, resulting in a compelling read that you'll think about even after you've read the last page. In short: I loved it, and highly recommend it to any woman, even those who are not fans of Giffin's previous work. Heart of the Matter takes things to a whole new level.

Rating: Easily 5 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Women, mothers, fans of chick lit and women's fiction
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, 2010 Chick Lit Challenge, RYOB Challenge 2010

Review: "Savor the Moment" by Nora Roberts

Laurel McBane and her three best friends, Parker, Emma, and Mac, run a successful wedding planning business called "Vows". Parker runs the business end of things, Mac does the photography, Emma is in charge of flowers, and Laurel bakes the cakes. It's the height of wedding season when Laurel has a run-in with Del, Parker's brother, whom she has been secretly in love with for years. Suddenly Del sees her as more than one of "his girls", and the dynamic between them changes. Savor the Moment follows the development of the romance between Laurel and Del.

I haven't picked up a Nora Robert's book in ages, despite the fact that she's written numerous #1 Bestsellers. This one, the third in a series of four, caught my attention because I love weddings. Really, who doesn't love weddings? Since my own wedding almost two years ago, I've known what is involved in pulling one off, and I know firsthand what a wonderful day it can be. I couldn't help but be disappointed with this book, though. It fell flat for me, and frankly, I found myself bored while reading it. There was nothing wrong with the writing at all, but the romance between Del and Laurel lacked passion in my opinion. They've known each other forever, and sparks haven't flown, and then suddenly something changes and they're all over eachother. Their connection seemed merely physical to me, as the two spend a lot of time jumping in and out of bed. Now, I'm not one of those people who dislikes books with sex in them, but it is all that they seemed to do, and it got boring. I kept waiting for them to make some emotional connection, to show some evidence of passion beyond the physical kind, but didn't find any.

The few conflicts in Savor the Moment didn't do anything for me either. They were all easily resolved, and since I was hoping for a bridezilla story or two, the lack of them was disappointing as well. Perfection is okay, but it doesn't make for a very interesting story. I haven't read the previous two books in the series, but you don't need to read them in order to understand the third. Anything that has happened in the previous two books is explained well enough in this one that you get the gist of what happened in them.

If you're looking for a light beach read, this book may appeal to you, but if you're looking for something with a little more plot and substance, I suggest skipping this one altogether. I'm certain that I'm in the minority here, as many people love Nora Roberts and this series in particular, but I couldn't wait for the book to be over.

Thank-you to Penguin Canada for this review copy. If you would like me to link to your review of this book (good or bad!), please leave your link in the comments.

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Those who have enjoyed the previous books in this series
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge

Review: "A Corner of Universe" by Rebbie Macintyre

What would you do if your husband values his work above everything, including you? This is the question that Zoe Sterling faces in A Corner of Universe. At 41, she finally feels like she has it all. Zoe is married to prominent physician with a social conscience, Cal, and is pregnant with their first child. She even has a romantic getaway planned to Bermuda, but two days before they are scheduled to leave, Cal's son from a previous relationship surfaces. Seth is cocky, arrogant, and spoiled, but Cal is so excited to have met him that Zoe puts her own feelings aside and tries to welcome him to the family, even postponing the vacation.

When Cal later accepts a long-term position in Africa to help establish medical clinics, things quickly turn sour. Cal has no interest in bringing Zoe along with him, so Zoe stays home to care for his aging grandmother and her unborn child. Seth refuses to leave her house, despite the fact that his father is no longer in the country, and when his behaviour towards her mentally unstable neighbor turns dangerous, Zoe has no choice but to handle the situation, and she comes to some startling conclusions in the process.

A Corner of Universe is women's fiction with an edge. When I first picked it up I was expecting a light read, but was surprised when I found a story of depth and personal discovery instead. The characters in this novel were particularly well-developed. I felt animosity towards both Cal and Seth, too selfish to see beyond themselves. I felt great gentleness towards Hattie, Cal's grandmother and a wise, learned woman. I felt sympathy for Neva, Zoe's next- door neighbor who was deperate for Seth's attention. What I felt the strongest was compassion for Zoe, who is stuck with a selfish husband and pregnant to boot. Rebbie Macintyre has a gift for conveying the emotion of everyday life.

The underlying message in this book in my opinion was, do we let our past decisions define who we are as a person in the present? Zoe and Cal got married on Zoe's mother's deathbed- Zoe's mother was ill for a long time and wished that she could see her daughter marry before she died. Cal and Zoe hadn't been dating long at that point, but they were in love, so when Zoe proposed to Cal, he accepted and they marry. When Cal continues to put his career ahead of Zoe and their unborn child, Zoe wages an internal war with herself. Does she fight for her marriage? Does she allow her own needs to take a backseat to Cal's? Or does she go back on her promise to be with Cal forever and carve out a new life for herself and her child instead? This internal struggle that Zoe faces was the highlight of the story for me- can Zoe forgive herself for her past decisions and move on with her life, or will she be stuck in stasis?

I enjoyed this strong, thoughtful novel. Rebbie Macintyre writes with skill, and despite the fact that things did not turn out as I expected them to, I was satisfied with the conclusion. Thank-you to the author for this review copy!

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Fans of women's fiction with an edge
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010

Mailbox Monday

Welcome to Mailbox Monday! It's hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page, and each week we share what was in our mailboxes last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to towering TBR piles and staggering book bills!

Two new books made their way into my mailbox last week:

The first was Raven Stole the Moon by Garth Stein, a contest win from Wrighty's Reads. I greatly enjoyed Garth Stein's previous book, The Art of Racing in the Rain, so I'm looking forward to the chance to read this one.

The second to arrive was an ARC of The Season of Second Chances by Diane Meier for review. This one has been getting some great customer reviews on Amazon, so I'm excited about getting the chance to read this one for myself.

That's what was in my mailbox last week- what was in yours?

Enter to win an eReader from The Bibliophilic Book Blog!

OK, so maybe you read my rant about eBooks the other day..... and maybe you didn't. Despite my sadness about hard copies going the way of paper money and the VCR, I'm not opposed to winning one, and at least giving the technology a try. Eventually I'm going to have to give in and buy one, whether or not I want to. On that note, Monica over at the Bibliophilic Book Blog is giving away an eReader! You can choose between the Sony Pocket eReader (choice of colour), the RCA Reader, the Aluratek Libre eBook Pro, or the Kobo eReader. Entering is as simple as filling out the entry form, but there are tons of bonus entries as well if you want to up your chances. You must be a follower to enter (new followers welcome!), and if she gets enough new followers, Monica will throw in 4 additional $15 Amazon gift cards to boot. If you don't want an eReader, you can choose a $100 Amazon Gift Card instead. The best part? This giveaway is open internationally, people, so anyone can enter! The contest runs until July 15, 2010. Good luck!

Oh, and if you do choose to go over there and enter the contest because you've read this post, could you tell her that Jonita sent you? Pretty please?

Review: "Either You're In or You're In The Way" by Logan and Noah Miller

Logan and Noah Miller are twins on a mission: despite the fact that they have no filmmaking experience, they are determined to direct and act in a movie that they wrote as a tribute to their late father. Their father died in a jail cell after an extended stint of homelessness, and this is how they want to honour his memory. The problem is that they have no equipment, no money, no major stars, and (did I mention this already?) no experience.

What follows is the equivalent of a filmmaking roller-coaster ride, filled with gratifying highs and beyond depressing lows. The brothers manage to secure the Panavision New Filmmaker Grant, which has helped films such as Napolean Dynamite become a reality. They corner Ed Harris at a film festival and somehow manage to get him to agree to read their script. They get Ed Harris on board, they lose Ed Harris, they get him back again. They have no money, but then they find some. As first time directors they must tread carefully so that their crew respects them. They hire. They fire. But ultimately, they get the movie made, and Either You're In or You're In The Way is their story.

My first impression of the book? What a ride! My second impression of the book? These guys must have horseshoes hidden somewhere on their person. Despite the fact that Logan and Noah Miller have no experience in the filmmaking industry and no contacts in Hollywood, they manage to overcome all of the obstacles in their way and eventually do what they set out to do: make their movie, tell their story. I mean, how many people would even consider cornering Academy Award nominated actor Ed Harris, having never met him before, and somehow convince him to star in their movie, and then actually do it? Not many. The fact that their journey is true makes the book all the more readable; these guys just refused to quit.

Either You're In or You're In The Way is an uplifting story, and it won't just appeal to movie buffs. Despite the fact that the story of how a low-budget movie gets made is fascinating, the principles of the story can be applied to other professions as well. The book is about more than just how a movie gets made, it's about refusing to give up when the going gets tough, and about following your dreams even when they seem impossible. I can't wait to watch Touching Home for myself- after reading what these guys have been through there is no way that I'll miss out on the chance to see the end product.

Thank-you to Logan and Noah Miller for sending me this review copy! You can find out more about Touching Home and where it is playing here, or you can read the brother's blog here.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Memoir lovers and film buffs
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010

Hard Copies vs. eBooks (or why I probably won't be reading an eBook anytime soon)

Recently a publisher that I review books for, I'll call them Publisher X, announced that they would gradually begin making the switch from distributing ARC's for review to distrubuting eARC's. In fact, the title which I was interested in reviewing out of the provided options was only available in the new eARC format, so I politely declined. It saddens me that hard copies will soon be going the way of paper money, VCR's and cassette tapes. Now, please don't misunderstand me: this is in no way a rant against Publisher X, nor am I trying to anger anyone who prefers an eBook over a hard copy. I understand why publishers are making the switch to eBooks. They're much more cost-effective for the publisher or author distributing them; they cost less to create (no paper!), plus there are no associated shipping costs in getting the review copy out to the reviewer. Less cost on the publisher's end means more copies available; more reviewers will have the chance to review, and therefore promote, the book. They are more environmentally friendly, and for the avid reader or blogger, they are much easier to store. However, while I see the reasoning behind why a publisher would switch to the e-version of a review copy, there are several reasons why I probably won't be reading an eBook or an eARC anytime soon.

The first, and probably the most obvious reason for my resistance, is the fact that I don't have an eReader. Spending several hundred dollars on an eReader, even on one of the newer, more economical options, just isn't in the budget while we raise three small children. One way around this problem would, of course, be for me to download the copy directly to my computer, but our computer is one that is shared among all of the members of our family. My husband and 10-year-old son also need our computer for their various activites, so the chances of me being able to use it to read an entire book are slim. Add to that the fact that our computer is a desktop (read: not portable) and that I do most of my reading in the bath, outside, or in the car, and that makes reading on our computer impractical.

The second reason that I am reluctant to switch to eBooks is that we don't have high speed. Now, this isn't by choice; my husband misses his XBox Live, and I miss being able to blog with the aid of high speed. We live just outside of a small town in a fairly rural area, and despite the number of businesses operating in our vicinity, Bell Canada hasn't deemed our area worthy of high speed Internet (yet!). We could opt to pay for satellite Internet, but considering that "high speed" satellite Internet starts at about $150 a month, it is no more in our budget than an eReader. Now, for those of you who don't remember what it's like to use dial-up: I often write a blog post, start uploading the accompanying picture, go and do some housework, make a snack, and then come back to see if the picture has loaded yet. Sadly, I'm not even kidding. This slow speed of Internet makes it even more difficult to read an eBook- when would I have the time (and patience) to download the whole thing?

The final reason for my reluctance to switch to eBooks is probably the biggest obstacle for me personally; I just love hard copies. I love the weight and smell of a book, I love the heft of one in my hand. I love their portability (they can go anywhere!) and lack of loading time. I even love when a publisher, author, or promoter offers to send you a review copy and then you have to wait for it. I love the anticipation of its arrival, and then that moment when the UPS/Fed Ex/Purolator guy delivers it. In this day and age of instant gratification and fast everything, it's nice to occasionally have to wait for something.

So, publishers, please don't do away with hard copies completely! I will miss them so much. I know that I will eventually cave and buy myself an eReader, or at least a laptop with WiFi. I know that someday I'll either move to an area with high speed Internet, or it will come to me. I know that someday I will be outnumbered and will have no choice but to succumb to the deluge of eBooks, but the next time you see me? I'll still have a hard copy in my hands.

Interview with Jill Mansell and Giveaway!

I am beyond thrilled to have Jill Mansell as a guest on The Book Chick today! I've been reading her books for many years now, and yesterday I reviewed her latest, Rumor Has It (if you missed my review, you can read it here). Now she has taken the opportunity to answer a few of my questions:

The Book Chick: What inspired you to start writing chick lit?
Jill Mansell: I started writing so many years ago now that chick-lit hadn’t even been invented then! I just decided to write the kind of book I would be excited to find in a bookstore, with humour and romance and drama and laughter and tears…and featuring the kind of characters I’d like to have as my own friends. It literally went from there and turned into my first novel. I’d found my natural writing style and it really hasn’t altered very much since. (Plus, I wouldn’t have the first idea how to put together a murder-mystery!)

TBC: I’m a huge fan and own most of your books (14 at last count). If I had to choose a favorite, it would probably be Nadia Knows Best, because that’s the book I read that made me fall in love with British chick lit in the first place. If you had to choose a favorite out of all of your books, what would it be?
JM: Such a hard question, because I always strive to make each book my favourite while I’m writing it, but each one has bits I particularly love. In Nadia Knows Best, the idea of being stranded by snow and having to spend the night with strangers was a great starting point. In Rumor Has It, the setting is Roxborough, but it’s based on Tetbury, where I went to school. And the final couple of chapters really did it for me - shades of James Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life…

TBC: You’ve written many books, and all have multiple characters. How do you come up with character names?
JM: Character names are getting more difficult, the more books I write – especially hero names. I use a Baby names book, and various sites on the internet, but I’ll also keep an eye out when the credits roll after movies or TV shows. Good names will be stored in a notebook. Then when I’m starting a new book, I’m careful to choose a new cast of characters whose names all ‘fit’ well together.

TBC: In Rumor Has It the character of Jack Lucas is a real ladies man, with women following him everywhere that he goes. Was he inspired by someone you’ve met in real life?
JM: I didn’t base Jack on anyone, but I may have been slightly inspired by George Clooney. I feel sorry for him - it must be hard work going through life being so irresistible…

TBC: What is your favorite color?
JM: My favourite colour is…diamond! Or black. Or silver.

TBC: If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take one snack with you, what would it be?
JM: This is SUCH a hard question! OK, if it was only one snack, it would have to be potato chips. (We call them crisps.) Just plain ones though – I hate all those weird fake flavourings. I like my potato chips to taste of potato.

TBC: Do you function best: in the morning or at night?
JM: I’m more a middle-of-the-day person nowadays. When I worked in the hospital I used to write late at night. Some of my writer-friends like to get up at 5am and work flat-out until midday. I prefer 10am-4pm. First thing in the morning is my worst nightmare!

TBC: When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
JM: I wanted to be an artist – I spent all my time drawing and painting. Art meant everything to me, then I got a bad result in my school art exam and lost my confidence. Just think, maybe if that hadn’t happened, I would never have tried to write books. Fate works in mysterious ways.

TBC: Is there a TV show that you hate to miss?
JM: We never tire of watching Friends in our house. I so wish it would come back. People have compared my books to Friends, so if any TV producers need any inspiration they could try one of my novels…

TBC: What books are on your nightstand right now?
JM: Interestingly, someone on Twitter last week was recommending Nora Ephron’s book Heartburn, which I’d never read before. I ordered it, and am loving it so much – I can’t believe it’s passed me by for so long. It’s truly brilliant and now it’s my turn to recommend it to you!

Thank-you for taking the time to answer my questions. I’m so excited that you decided to be a guest at The Book Chick!

Now, courtesy of Sourcebooks, I have two copies of Rumor Has It to give away! To enter:

1. Tell me if you've ever read a Jill Mansell book before! Please leave your e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win. No e-mail=no entry!

2. *Bonus Entry* Become a follower of this blog, and leave me a seperate comment letting me know that you now follow. Current followers are eligible as well, just leave me a seperate comment letting me know that you already follow!

3. *Bonus Entry* Spread the word about this contest in some way: blog about it, add it to your sidebar, Facebook it, or Twitter it. Leave me a seperate comment letting me know what you did, and how you did it!

This contest will run until June 2, 2010 at midnight. Winners will be chosen after this date and will be notified by e-mail. This contest is open to US and Canadian residents only, no PO Boxes please! Good luck!

Review: "Rumor Has It" by Jill Mansell

Tilly Cole's boyfriend Gavin has packed up and left her. Instead of dissolving into a heap on the couch, devouring ice cream and crying her heart out, she doesn't seem to be that upset. Really, the only thing that she's really upset about is that fact that she can no longer afford her apartment without Gavin's contribution. Instead of worrying herself about it, she goes and visits her best friend Erin, who lives in Roxborough and runs an upmarket dress exchange. On a whim Tilly answers a help wanted ad for a "Girl Friday" and meets Max and his spunky daughter Lou. They love her and hire her on the spot. Everything is coming up roses for Tilly- she has a new job, working and living in a nice home, and she's living close to her best friend. That is, until Jack Lucas comes onto the scene. Jack is a great-looking single man with a tragic history, and every woman in Roxborough wants to be with him. According to the rumors, everyone in Roxborough has been with him. Tilly is wildly and unavoidably attracted to him, but she decides that she doesn't want to become just another notch on his bedpost and starts avoiding him at all costs. But can the rumors about Jack really be believed?

It's no secret that I adore Jill Mansell- it was one of her books that got me hooked on British chick lit in the first place (and yes, I still have that book)! Rumor Has It is no exception- like all of her other books, I loved it. The book is a combination of romance and humour, with no shortage of drama and complications. The pace is effortless- this is one of those books that you want to start reading only when you have hours to devote to it, because you won't want to put it down.

I loved the characters in this one, as well as the various storylines. Tilly is perfect as the woman who has lost her boyfriend and, quite frankly, seems happy about it. Max and Lou, her new employers, are a lot of fun. There's one scene in the book where Lou is getting ready to leave for her first school dance and the car breaks down. Lou is absolutely panicked, and you can't help but feel that if she misses this dance it will mean the end of her world as she knows it. Erin, Tilly's best friend, doesn't just blend into Tilly's background but has her own story and dilemmas. And Jack- what can I say about Jack? I swear I started falling for him just a little myself while I was reading this one.

Jill Mansell has written a book that does her genre proud. It's smart, it's funny, and I couldn't put it down. Thank-you to Danielle at Sourcebooks for this review copy, and be sure to come back tomorrow- I'll be doing an interview with Jill Mansell and I'll be giving away two copies of Rumor Has It!

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Anyone who loves smart and sassy chick lit with a British twist
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, 2010 Chick Lit Challenge

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. Each week we share which books found their way into our mailboxes last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can cause towering TBR piles and staggering book bills!

Last week only one new book found its way into my mailbox, and my TBR shelf thanked me for it! This is what arrived:

From the publisher's website:

"When Catherine Lambert, an effortlessly chic Parisian lawyer, receives an offer to transfer to the New York office of her prestigious firm, she unhesitatingly accepts. A dedicated follower of fashion and everything stylish, she is determined to conquer the high-flying world of Manhattan law -- and love. Catherine's dreams of glamour fizzle quickly, however, when she is faced with the hard realities of her profession. The pressure of billable hours, the incessant demands of her impossible bosses, the conspiracies of two malicious secretaries and the advances of the lecherous client prompt her to question her career choice. But then she meets Jeffrey Richardson, a powerful client, and her New York life takes on the romance she'd hoped it would -- until an unexpected request forces Catherine to re-evaluate the exclusive world she's chosen for herself.

With its insider's perspective on the dirty deals and intrigue that have darkened Wall Street's reputation, J'adore New York is a bright and funny take on the lives and laws of New York's most powerful players."

That's it for me for this week- which books found their way into your home last week?

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all you mommies out there! Motherhood comes in many different forms, and today I'm wishing you all a very Happy Mother's Day!

The picture on the left is one of my very favourite pictures of my family, taken at our wedding almost 2 years ago. Age them by just under 2 years and you'll have an accurate picture of my family: E., 10, H., 4 (almost 5!), and J., 3. There's my handsome hubby as well, the person partially responsible for creating my beautiful babies!

I started on my journey of motherhood 10 years ago when I was only 17, and pretty much a baby myself. Thanks goodness for my mother, who not only offered endless help and advice but helped me to raise E. for the first couple of years (I love you, mom!!!). When E. was 2 1/2, I met my hubby and a couple of years later we expanded our family to include H., and 19 months later, J. Motherhood is a demanding, often thankless job, filled with late nights and butt-wiping and whining and emergency trips to the doctor. But as any mother out there will tell you, the benefits of being a parent outweigh the bad stuff every time. There's nothing quite like your child giving you a hug and kiss and telling you how much they love you. Morning cuddling, a sleeping child, sticky kisses, laugh-out-loud moments- these are the things that make being a mother so amazing and completely worth it.

So, moms, enjoy your day. Kick back, relax with a good book or a glass of wine, and revel in the fantastic job that you're doing!!!!

Things That I Love

For no reason other than I feel like it, here is a completely random posts about the things that I love:

1. Reading a book in the bathtub, which is why more of my books than I care to admit to have a tiny bit of water damage somewhere on their pages.

2. My PJ pants, which are black with white skulls and pink hearts. There is nothing like coming out of a hot bath and putting on my PJ pants!

3. Moosetracks Ice Cream, especially the Sobey's brand. I have no idea what they call it now because they changed the name to Vanilla-something-or-other, but those ribbons of chocolate and peanut butter cups? Mmmmm....

4. Chick Lit and Women's Fiction. I haven't quite determined the difference between the two, but they are like candy for me- I just can't resist!

5. Pretty much any book by one of the following authors (see #5): Jill Mansell, Wendy Holden, Emily Giffin, Sophie Kinsella/Madeleine Wickham, Jennifer Weiner and Cecelia Ahern. Their books are my crack, I swear!

6. My blog. I really love blogging, am passionate about it in fact, and kinda feel like it's my fourth child (one that talks back a lot less!)

7. Mascara that makes my eyelashes really long.

8. Brightly coloured nail polish, especially if there are sparkles in it!

9. Reading in a really comfortable lounge chair in the sun.

10. The spa!!!!! My hubby got me a GC for Christmas, which I'm really excited to use, but just haven't had the opportunity yet (soon!!!!). I cannot wait for my massage and facial!

11. The really cool motel which hubby and I went to for our (brief!) honeymoon in Grand Bend, Ontario and the fabulous restaurant right beside it.

12. The beach! Luckily I live about 15 minutes away from a great one, so the kids and I visit often in the summer.

13. IHRA Drag Racing. I never thought that I would be drag racing kind of girl, but hubby took me while we were dating and I was hooked! I've only missed one Ontario event to date, and that's because my son was less than two weeks old at the time. Hubby went without me, though, and I don't know if I've ever quite forgiven him, LOL!

14. Thunderstorms at night, especially while I'm lying in bed. There's something about them that I find immensely relaxing.

15. That new Miley Cyrus song, "When I Look At You". I've never been a huge Miley Cyrus fan, but the lyrics of this one are amazing!

16. Diamonds and sparkly things- I can't help it, it's something about being the only girl in a family of boys (even our Beta fish is male!)

17. Date night. It doesn't happen often enough, but when it does.....

18. "Glee". I am suprisingly hooked on this show and can't wait to get the entire first season on DVD 'cause I joined late in the game.

19. Any show with Ellen DeGeneres on it- now she is one funny woman!

20. Wine...if you're having a bad day, a glass of wine can cure all!

There are many more things that I adore. The colour purple. Silence. Noise. I could go on! But I'll cut it short for tonight. What things do you love?

Review: "The Icing on the Cupcake" by Jennifer Ross

Last week wasn't a great week. My primary issue was with the dreaded tooth pain, which has been ongoing, and which I have been trying to ignore. Last week was the week that I could no longer ignore it, and after an "episode", I was forced to visit the dreaded dentist. In the midst of all of the dentist drama, I needed a book to read- a "comfort" book, and what better book to pick up than the gorgeous The Icing on the Cupcake by Jennifer Ross? I mean, who wouldn't love this cover with the gorgeous cupcakes and the beautiful pink and green colouring?

Southern belle Ansley Waller has it all. A recent college grad, she's engaged to Parish, a man who will ensure her financial security and is gorgeous to boot. Ansley's busy planning her wedding, and mentally naming the children who will no doubt be a product of their union when Parish calls off the wedding and everything falls apart. Determined to leave Dallas with her head held high, Ansley makes contact with her estranged grandmother, Vivian, recently widowed and living in New York. Vivian permits Ansley to come out to stay, but provides her with an ultimatum- get a job within 8 weeks, or return to Dallas.

Ansley comes from a family who bakes when times are tough, so upon her arrival in New York, Ansley begins baking up a storm. While helping to correct some tax problems brought on by Vivian's late husband, and getting adjusted to a New York that is very different from Dallas, will Ansley be able to get a job and retain her dignity?

This was a cute coming-of-age story. The Ansley that we meet at the beginning of the book (over-confident and often mean) is very different from the Ansley that we are left with at the end. Throughout the book Ansley learns that being nasty does not necessarily pay, and that in fact it can have some dire consequences. The sub-plots throughout- Ansley's grandmother Vivian must come to terms with the fact that she abandoned her daughter at a young age, Vivian gets involved in a romance with an unlikely candidate- serve only to enhance the main story. I liked that the ending was not  necessarily what I expected it to be. I'm not going to give it away here, but what I thought was going to happen was not what happened, which was a pleasant surprise.

There are recipes for cupcakes throughout the book at the end of every chapter, which will tickle the fancy of anyone who enjoys both reading and baking. These recipes include Margarita, Hold the Salt, Green With Envy Cupcakes, Black Bottom Heartache and more. My only complaint? Deep-fried Snickers cupcakes were mentioned a couple of times in the book, but there was no recipe! I swear, every time I read "deep fried Snickers" I salivated. It sounds like it could be difficult for the beginner baker to tackle, but man would I love to try that one!

The Icing on the Cupcake was a fun, light read, and with Mother's Day approaching I would recommend this one as a gift for the mom in your life who loves reading and baking. Thank-you to Jennifer Ross for sending me this copy for review!

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Chick lit lovers, anyone who enjoys baking cupcakes
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010, 2010 Chick Lit Challenge

Guest Post by Karen White and Giveaway!

Please join me in welcoming Karen White, author of the newly released On Folly Beach to The Book Chick! If you missed my review, you can read it here. Today Karen guest blogs about the rejection that all writers must inevitably deal with:

"As the mother of two teenagers, I deal with the dreaded “R” word just about every day. Pretty much every gesture on my part (a smile, a warm greeting, an attempt at a hug) is greeted with a rejection (a scowl, a grunt, a brush-off). And, to top it off, my daughter is a senior in high school and it’s April—the month that colleges send their acceptances, and rejections, to hopeful future enrollees. Our collective stress in this house is worse than that of a long-tailed cat in a rocking chair factory.


But I’m a writer. I know rejection. I’d like to think I could tell my children a little bit about dealing with it. Like they would listen. So I figured I’d write down what I know in the hopes that maybe one day, when they’re older and somewhat wiser, my words might reach them. And that I might have the chance to say, “I told you so.”

Rejection hurts. It’s like a fist to the solar plexus regardless of how many times we tell ourselves that it isn’t personal. But it is. Whether it’s being told by a big university that you’re not wanted or by an editor that they won’t publish your “baby”, it’s personal.

I sold my first four books easily. I found my agent by submitting my first novel into a contest and my agent was the finalist judge. She sold my book to the second publisher she sent it to. But after my fourth book, I was dropped by my publisher. I will always liken my early publishing career as going to the prom with the dorky, pimply boy. It wasn’t a great match, but at least I was going to the prom! I really never wanted to write for that last publisher, and had taken the offer because I was afraid that there wouldn’t be any others. And then, suddenly, even the dorky, pimply boy didn’t want me.

I was devastated. I cried every day. I considered quitting. A friend sent me a little figurine that still hangs on my desk lamp. It has a little inscription on it: “When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.” I knew what she was trying to say to me, and I knew she was right. But I still felt like such a failure.

My daughter is an equestrian and I’ve watched her take some pretty bad spills. But she always gets back in the saddle, no matter how badly she’s been hurt. I figured she had to have learned that somewhere, right? Maybe if I refused to climb back in the writing saddle, I’d be teaching her the worst lesson of her life. Maybe my failure wasn’t so much in the rejection, but in my believing in it more than I believed in my abilities.

So I brushed off another manuscript idea and started writing. And writing. I submitted it to my agent and she submitted it to publishing houses and sold it to my dream publisher, Penguin Publishing Group. And the whole irony of it all is that if I hadn’t been dumped by my previous publisher, I’d never have had the opportunities in my career that I have had since. Amazing how that works, isn’t it?

My daughter is bright and I know she’ll be successful wherever she ends up. I know she doesn’t believe that right now because she’s been waitlisted at her top two school choices. She’s devastated. I’ve tried to tell her that I understand how she feels, but it doesn’t help. Only time will show her that where she ends up is where she was meant to be all along. Even John Grisham was rejected eight times before he finally got a publisher’s attention.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that rejection is good for you. But it is a wonderful teaching tool; teaching perseverance, will, and faith in yourself. And that whatever doesn’t kill us will certainly make us stronger. I can only hope that I will be around to see my children succeed despite themselves and tell them, “I told you so.”"

Thank-you so much for stopping by, Karen! And now for the giveaway: I have two copies of On Folly Beach to give away, courtesy of Joy at Joan Schulhafer Publishing & Media Consulting. To enter:

1. Post a comment here and tell me how you feel about rejection: does it get you down, or do you try to learn from it? Please include an e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win. No e-mail= no entry!

2. *Bonus Entry* For one bonus entry, become a follower of this blog through Google Friend Connect and leave me a seperate comment to let me know that you are now a follower. Current followers are eligible as well, just be sure to leave me a sepearate comment letting me know that you already follow.

3. *Bonus Entry* For one bonus entry, spread the word about this contest in some way. Tweet about it, blog about it, or add it to your sidebar, just leave me a comment letting me know what you did!

This contest is open to residents of both the US and Canada, and runs until May 30, 2010 at midnight. Winners will be contacted by e-mail after this date and will have 48 hours to respond. Good luck!

Review: "On Folly Beach" by Karen White

Emmy Hamilton has just lost the love of her life, Ben, to the war in Afghanistan and is numb to the world. She continues to work at her mother's bookstore, Paige's Pages, in Indiana but she has no desire to move on in a world without Ben. When her mother buys a box of old books from Folly's Finds, a bookstore in Folly Beach, South Carolina, that contains cyptic love notes in some of the book's margins, Emmy is just intrigued enough to move out to Folly Beach and purchase the old bookstore herself, if for no other reason than to solve this old mystery.

When Emmy moves out to Folly Beach she meets Abigail Reynolds and her family. Abigail inherited Folly's Finds from her mother-in-law, Maggie, and may hold some of the keys to this mystery from the past. As Emmy takes over ownership of Folly's Finds she also meets LuLu, Abigail's prickly aunt and Maggie's sister, who makes bottle trees and sells them out of the bookstore's backyard. LuLu becomes uncomfortable and elusive as Emmy continues to uncover more notes in Maggie's old books, and Emmy is even more convinced that there is a mystery to solve.

As Emmy adapts to her new life in Folly Beach and she begins to open herself more to those around her, she must decide if she's willing to let go of her own past and embrace her future.

Despite her backlist of bestsellers, On Folly Beach is the first book I've read by Karen White and I was enchanted from the beginning. White tells two stories in her latest book- the story of Emmy, newly widowded and grieving, and the story of Maggie in 1942, in love with a man who is hiding multiple secrets from her. These parallel narratives, told in alternating chapters, kept me hooked throughout and I couldn't even decide which story I liked better. White also incorporates a mystery into her story, and she reveals the key pieces tantalizingly slowly, so that I was rushing to get to the end to figure it all out.

On Folly Beach did not disappoint; the setting was a beautiful barrier island with a rich history, the characters multi-layered, and the conclusion surprising yet satisfying. Emmy was my favourite character- she was vulnerable and grieving the loss of her husband yet she posessed a fierce determination to uncover the truth that she found in the old books in her bookstore. LuLu was also a great character despite her prickly exterior. Throughout the book she demonstrates that underneath it all she possesses great wisdom and compassion.

Karen White fans will love her latest novel, and those who have not previously read her books (like myself!)will enjoy her skilled writing and addictive storylines. Thank-you to Joy at Joan Schulhafer Publishing & Media Consulting for this review copy, and be sure to check back tomorrow as Karen White guest posts and I will have two copies of On Folly Beach to give away!

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Fans of romance and light mystery, those who loved Karen White's previous novels
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. Each week we share which books made their way into our mailboxes the previous week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to towering TBR piles and staggering book- buying bills!

Last week six new books made their way into my house:

Cold Rock River by Jackie Lee Miles was a review copy from Sourcebooks
Either You're In or You're In The Way by Logan and Noah Miller was a review copy sent by the authors
The Icing on the Cupcake by Jennifer Ross was a review copy sent by the author
Apologize, Apologize by Elizabeth Kelly was a contest win from Sumana
Laura Rider's Masterpiece by Jane Hamilton was a contest win from Kristi at Books and Needlepoint
Girl in Translation was a win from Penguin's Exclusive Reads

That's it for me for this week- what was in your mailbox last week?

Winners!

Congratulations to the winners of Just Like Me, Only Better by Carol Snow:

Bcteagirl

and

Rebecca O!

Winners, check your e-mails for an e-mail from me and please respond within 48 hours. Thank-you to everyone who entered, and be sure to check back for a new contest to be posted this week!

Sunday Salon

All that I can say this week is thank goodness that Google Blogger allows me to write posts ahead of time and "schedule" them to be posted, or else I don't think that anything would have been posted by me this week. I had an "episode" with a tooth that's been bothering me for a long time earlier this week. I've been trying (unsuccessfully!) to deny the fact that I needed to see a dentist ASAP, but after spending the majority of Tuesday in bed crying from being in so much pain, I finally put on my big girl panties and made an appointment. $320, one pulled tooth, and one temporary filling later (I'll be going back in July for a very expensive root canal), I'm feeling better than I was on Tuesday, but am still in a bit of post-tooth-pulling pain. As my hubby reminded me, though, I would rather have a little pain than a lot of pain, so I should be thankful that I'll soon be pain-free. I did manage to get some "comfort" reading done, though. When I'm in pain or craving some comfort I often turn to chick lit or women's fiction to help me feel better, as evidenced by the books that I read this week.

What I'm Reading Now:
So Much For That by Lionel Shriver- This book has surprised me so far. Intelligent and witty, it contains both political and social commentary while telling an important story.

What I Read Last Week:
Rumour Has It by Jill Mansell- For an upcoming Sourcebooks blog tour
A Corner of Universe by Rebbie Macintyre
The Icing on the Cupcake by Jennifer Ross

What I Reviewed Last Week:
A Gift From Brittany by Marjorie Price

Reviews I Need to Write:
Rumor Has It by Jill Mansell
A Corner of Universe by Rebbie Macintyre
The Icing on the Cupcake by Jennifer Ross

Current Giveaways:
Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow (US/Can, May 5)
A Gift From Brittany by Marjorie Price (US/Can, May 20)

Be sure to stop by next week as I'll be reviewing Karen White's newest release, On Folly Beach, and giving away two copies! Have a great week, everyone!