Giveaway ends TONIGHT for The Rose of York: Love and War by Sandra Worth

This is just a friendly reminder that the giveaway for two autographed copies of Sandra Worth's wonderful historical fiction novel The Rose of York: Love and War ends tonight at midnight. Details can be found at this link. Don't miss out on a chance to read the story of a young Richard III from a different point of view. What if Richard was not a hunchbacked murderer, but was instead a gallent young night with one true love, the beautiful Anne Neville? Caught between the opposing forces of the houses of York and Lancaster, Richard grows from a young boy to a young warrior. This is a must read for all lovers of historical fiction.

Giveaway and Review: Live for Your Listening Pleasure by David Sedaris (audio)

Live for Your Listening Pleasure is a hilarious series of short stories written and read by David Sedaris in front of many different live audiences. While one story is a humorous fable of a cat and a baboon in a grooming saloon, the other stories are autobiographical tales or observations on life. I found them all very funny and quite enjoyable. I listened to it on a business trip to Milwaukee earlier this week and it had me laughing out loud during several points.

This audiobook is short, only one CD that is approximately 75 minutes long. Sedaris does a great performance and reading with all of the right pauses for maximum laughter and enjoyment. There are some adult themes to some of the stories so it is not appropriate for young children.

The only section I found not funny was a joke about breast milk. I thought it was just gross and not funny. Otherwise everything else was great. It makes up the uneven Sedaris Christmas book I read earlier!

Overall, if you are looking for a good laugh and great observations on life, I highly recommend this audiobook.

Audiobook Source: Review Copy from Hachette Book Group. Thank-you!

Giveaway Details
Now for the details you are really looking for . . .Anna of the Hachette Book Group has been kind enough to offer three audiobook copies of Live for Your Listening Pleasure for this giveaway.

If you would like to enter this contest do any of the following:

1. Leave a comment on this post. You must include an email address. If I can't find a way to contact you I will draw another winner. (1 entry)

2. Blog about this giveaway or post about it on your sidebar. (1 entry)

3. Become a follower or leave a comment that you already are a follower of this blog. (1 entry)

There are three ways to enter, but you can put all three entries as one comment. I will be using random.org to pick the winners from the comments.

This contest is only open to US and Canadian residents (Sorry!).

No P.O. Boxes.

The deadline for entry is midnight, Friday January 8th. Good luck!

Giveaway and Review: True Compass by Edward M. Kennedy (Audio)

No matter what your political persuasion is, you have to admit that Ted Kennedy lived a fascinating life. I wasn’t sure what to expect of this memoir. I had attempted at one point to read each of the Clinton’s respective biographies only to toss them aside once I determined they were mostly political pandering. True Compass is not a “political” memoir per say, instead it is an engrossing story of a man at the end of his life who is looking back on the events that shaped him for the good and the bad. I found the book to be many things, but what surprised me most is that is there were several excellent sections and chapters (such as “The Living Rose”) where Kennedy has some really deep, well-written thoughts on life that brought a tear to my eye.

True Compass is a long audiobook (17 CDs), but I found myself deeply interested and engrossed as if it were a non-fiction novel. John Bedford Lloyd read the novel. While he lacks Kennedy’s distinctive Boston accent, his voice for me became Ted Kennedy’s. He did an excellent job.

My husband is not a fan of the Kennedys, but while I was listening to this novel, he would often stop and listen to the sections too as he found them interesting. I must admit thought, that some of the interest was because Kennedy’s life is so very different from our own. Descriptions of sailing yachts, taking first communion from the Pope, etc. shows as Fitzgerald once said, “Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me.”

That aside, I found the description of the historical events of Kennedy’s life, especially the turbulent 1960’s, to be riveting. This novel is the modern history of the United States, as seen through one very prominent man’s eyes. In interest of full disclosure, I was a tad bit bored of the 1970’s and 1980’s political discussion.

My favorite parts of the book were when Kennedy not only described a historical event or piece of legislation, but talked about his feelings on it personally. The highlights of the book were these personal touches and moments of great prose and deep thought.

I admire that although Kennedy did live a life of privilege; he was deeply thoughtful and concerned about the common man and took this concern to the Senate. I also greatly admire how he took care of the fatherless nieces and nephews and really made family a priority.

He does talk about Chappaquiddick in this novel, but only briefly. He has brutally honest thoughts about it and one great line that was something along the line of “Atonement is an act that never ends.”

Kennedy a very spiritual man and as a Catholic myself, I enjoyed his thoughts on faith. I also liked the love story between his second wife Victoria and himself. She sounds like a great woman, and the perfect one for him. I also liked how he talked about his first wife Joan, but never in a negative light.

Overall, this book is a fascinating look at Ted Kennedy’s life and the modern history of the United States. I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

Audiobook Source: Review Copy from Hachette Book Group. Thank-you!

Giveaway Details

Now for the details you are really looking for . . .Anna of the Hachette Book Group has been kind enough to offer three audiobook copies of True Compass for this giveaway.

If you would like to enter this contest do any of the following:

1. Leave a comment on this post. You must include an email address. If I can't find a way to contact you I will draw another winner. (1 entry)

2. Blog about this giveaway or post about it on your sidebar. (1 entry)

3. Become a follower or leave a comment that you already are a follower of this blog. (1 entry)

There are three ways to enter, but you can put all three entries as one comment. I will be using random.org to pick the winners from the comments.

This contest is only open to US and Canadian residents (Sorry!).

No P.O. Boxes.

The deadline for entry is midnight, Monday January 4th. Good luck!

Roses by Leila Meacham

Roses is an engrossing family saga that spans the twentieth century that I literally found myself unable to put down. The Toliver, Warwick, and DuMont families are the three founding families of Howbutker, Texas in the 1800s. The Tolivers are cotton farmers, the Warwicks are timber giants, and the DuMonts are clothing department store magnates.

The novel starts in 1985. Mary Toliver DuMont is dying and decides to change her will at the last minute so that future generations will avoid the “Toliver curse.” These changes have lasting repercussions with her family and friends. The novel then switches to her girlhood in the early twentieth century to answer the mystery of what the curse encompasses. The second part of the novel is Percy Warwick’s story, and the third part of the novel is set back in 1985 with Mary’s Great-Niece Rachel’s story. I won’t get too much more into a plot summary here as I don’t want to ruin the novel for anyone!! Let’s just say there is a mystery, a great passion, and a lot of tragedy.

The Tolivers and Warwicks are descendants of the Lancasters and the Yorks, feuding houses during the War of the Roses. I love reading about the War of the Roses, so this was an added bonus when I read this novel. I love how the tradition of the families is to give a red rose when asking for forgiveness, a white rose when granting forgiveness, and a pink rose if all is not forgiven. The symbolism of it was striking through the generations.

I love family sagas and I loved this novel. I couldn’t stop reading it as I wanted to know what would happen next. It was a multi-generational soap opera that I thoroughly enjoyed. I really liked all of the characters (well except for Mary’s Mom . . . what a drama queen!). A couple characters that I found one-dimensional redeemed themselves and took on new dimensions by the novels end (Lucy). I really enjoyed the character growth and development. I also loved how Mary reminded me strongly of Scarlett O'Hara and Percy Warwick reminded me of Rhett Butler, two of my favorite literary characters.

Overall I enjoyed thinking about how families go all crazy when someone dies and there is money to be had. It all could go so differently if one realizes that the rich relative has a free mind and can do whatever they would like with the money. When you grow bitter from expectations and disappointments, it’s a rather sad way to spend life.

SPOILER ALERT. The only thing I didn’t like about the novel was Mary’s rushed wedding. Why didn’t she wait for her true love? I know the times were different, but I was aggravated at this scene. I almost needed a bit more of Mary’s thought process.

This book will be published on January 6, 2010.

Book Source: Advance Reading Copy from Miriam at Hachette Book Group. Thank-you!

Winners of the Say You're One of Them Audiobook Giveaway!

Congrats to Enyl, Diane of Bibliophile by the Sea, and Jaime of Copper Llama Studio. Thank-you to all three of you for being followers and for entering this great giveaway, courtesy of Hachette Book Group. You have each won an audiobook copy of Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan. I will forward your information to Anna at Hachette Book Group once I hear back from you. If I hear nothing back for a week, I will select a new winner. All winners were chosen using the power of random.org.

Say You're One of Them is a powerful novel about different families living through turbulent times in different African Nations. It is not easy reading or listening due to tramatic events described, but I think it is important that we are all aware that such events do occur in our world.

Didn't win Say You're One of Them? There is still a giveaway going on until December 18th for the wonderful historical fiction novel, The Rose of York: Love and War by Sandra Worth. I will also be posting another audiobook giveaway later on this week so stay tuned!

Favorite Classic Christmas Movies

My love for Christmas movies started when I was a child. During the month of December, our entire family would gather on Sunday evenings, eat popcorn, and watch our favorite classic Christmas movies.

My siblings and I loved It’s a Wonderful Life and I still consider it one of my all time favorite movies. We used to watch it all year long, even in the summer! Now that I’m old age 31, I actually tear up when George thinks his life is not worth living, but then discovers how important his life is to so many people. It is a wonderful life after all.

I love White Christmas and Holiday Inn as well. I just love Bing Crosby. I think I can sing all of the songs from White Christmas and pretty much have the entire movie memorized. Luckily my husband loves this movie as well so we usually watch it on Christmas. Our TV has been taken over by children’s Christmas classics this year so we’ll see how it goes. White Christmas and Holiday Inn are fun movies, with great music, great dancing, and great romance.

The Bishop’s Wife stars Cary Grant as an angel. Enough said. A Miracle on 34th Street reaffirms my belief in Santa Claus for the child in me every time I see it. Although I like to watch it close to Thanksgiving as it has the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade as a central theme.

I love all versions of A Christmas Carol, but I really like the old version from the 1930’s the best. A Christmas Carol is a great story and really brings out the true meaning of Christmas for everyone. I love it!

A Christmas Story is definitely a new classic, but it is hilarious. Who can forget the leg lamp? The tongue on the flagpole or other favorite moments?

I really love old movies, and Christmas old movies are amongst my favorites. What is your favorite classic Christmas movie? Sound off below and vote on the poll on the right sidebar!

These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer

Mistaken identity, intrigue, and romance are only a few of the plot lines that make These Old Shades a fascinating read. Justin Alastair, the Duke of Avon, is a handsome, clothes obsessed, self-professed rake. He literally runs into Leon, a young urchin who is escaping his abusive brother one evening. Alastair rescues Leon, takes him under his wing, and finds a part of himself that he never knew existed – a nurturing, fatherly side. He also knows a dangerous secret about Leon that could help him to defeat his mortal enemy.

I love Georgette Heyer. I first discovered her novels three years ago when I was browsing at my local library. I can’t believe I hadn’t discovered her before that time. She writes captivating regency romances that are the next best thing to a new Jane Austen novel. Her descriptions and knowledge of period detail is spot-on and wonderful.

These Old Shades is set slightly before the Regency period and before the French Revolution. The book mostly took place in France and I loved reading about intrigue amongst the upper echelons. I also loved how Justin Alastair and his brother Rupert were so clothes obsessed. I could just see Justin with his quizzing glass raised, with his lavender coat, and jeweled high heels. It definitely makes for a unique main character.

The characters were very interesting and I liked the mystery. The book did run a bit slow in some sections, but overall it was a great read. I highly recommend this book and all Georgette Heyer novels to lovers of historical fiction, and especially regency romance. If you are looking for something new after the end of the Everything Austen Challenge, a Heyer novel might just be the thing.

I love the inside covers of this book and how it shows all of the covers of the newly released Heyer novels. They are very nice looking. I am really happy that Sourcebooks is releasing Georgette Heyer’s novels in such a great format.

Book Source: Review Copy from Sourcebooks. Thank-you!

Major Plot Points on Book Covers and Daphne Du Maurier Novels Now in Print!

Daphne Du Maurier is one of my favorite authors of all time. I first discovered her when my friend Stephanie loaned Rebecca to me when I was 14. I was smitten and have since read Rebecca several times. At that time, Rebecca and I think Jamaica Inn were the only two Du Maurier novels currently in print. I have spent the years since then searching for her novels in used books sales and antique stores and have a good collection.

I was more than a little excited when I stopped by Sam’s Club yesterday and noticed beautiful new publications of three of my favorite Du Maurier novels, Frenchman’s Creek, My Cousin Rachel, and The King’s General. I checked the publisher and noticed it was Sourcebooks, one of my favorite publishers. I think it is wonderful that such wonderful books are now in print for others to discover. I can now get them as gifts for family and friends!

My only complaint was that a MAJOR plot point was revealed on the back cover of The King’s General. When I first read The King’s General, I had no idea what was going to happen. It is a historical fiction novel set during the English Civil War and starts off with the romance between a high spirited girl named Honor and a captivating man named Richard. Not to far into the book, a shattering event takes place and totally changes the novel. I was very surprised by this event and it really made the book for me. I thought Du Maurier had been fearless and original to take the novel in that direction. Unfortunately, readers of the new novel will not be able to experience the surprise as it is spelled out on the back cover. Have you ever had this happen to you before when you read a novel? I’ve had this happen a few times this year. I want the novel blurb to be captivating, but I also don’t want it to ruin the plot! Comment Below!

My Cousin Rachel is the novel that Rebecca fans must read. It is another psychological thriller that will leave you guessing until the very end. Frenchman’s Creek is a wonderful historical fiction romance involving a woman named Lady Dona St. Columb who discovers herself as well as the love of a sexy French pirate. I also love the 1940’s movie version starring Joan Fontaine and the 1990’s Masterpiece version starring Tara Fitzgerald. I plan on picking this for my book club sometime in the New Year and am happy that there will be more readily available new versions of the novel!

These three novels are some of Du Maurier’s best novels. I highly recommend them, but please – do not read the back cover blurb on The King’s General!

The Classics Circuit: Christmas Storms and Sunshine by Elizabeth Gaskell

I am honored to be a stop on The Classics Circuit today. The Classics Circuit is a wonderful way in which classic authors enjoy the honor of being celebrated on blogs in the way that new authors are when they release a new book.

I was very excited that Elizabeth Gaskell was chosen to be so honored. I first read an Elizabeth Gaskell novel when I was a teenager obsessed with everything Bronte and read her Diary of Charlotte Bronte. At that point she was “Mrs. Gaskell” and I read that she was a famous novelist and wondered what novels she had written. It wasn’t until the wonderful Wives and Daughters mini-series was going to air on Masterpiece Theatre that I finally read that novel and loved it. I then read Cranford and Lady Ludlow and Other Stories in preparation of Cranford also appearing on Masterpiece Theatre. I have enjoyed what I have read of Gaskell and hope to read more.

Gaskell is a master at writing the minutia of small town life in Victorian England. “Christmas Storms and Sunshine” is a short story from 1848 that is an excellent example of this. Mr. Hodgson is the chief compositor of the democratic Examiner paper in town while Mr. Jenkins holds the same position at the Tory Flying Post paper. Both are married men and both happen to reside in the same house in different apartments.

The political argument of the men is taken up by the wives. Although they live in the same house, they are determined to not get along. One Christmas Eve both are preparing for their Christmas celebration the next day. Mrs. Hodgson has an 18-month old son, while Mrs. Jenkins would like a baby, but only has a beloved cat. Mrs. Hodgson is discovered by Mrs. Jenkins to be beating her beloved cat over eating some leftover mutton that he found in her open cupboard. She is not pleased.

Shortly thereafter, Baby Hodgson is discovered to not be breathing properly and to be stricken with the croup. Time is of the essence and Mrs. Hodgson has to bug Mrs. Jenkins for help (after having just beaten her cat). Will Mrs. Jenkins forgive Mrs. Hodgson? Will Baby Hodgson be okay? You will have to read the story to find out.

I love one of the last lines of the story, “If any of you have any quarrels, or misunderstandings, or coolnesses, or cold shoulders, or shynesses, or tiffs, or miffs, or huffs, with any one else, just make friends before Christmas, - you will be so much merrier if you do.” What a great thought for the holidays.

Overall, I loved this short story. It had a great theme for the holidays and it also showed Gaskell’s skills at capturing not only small town life, but the emotions of the two main characters.

The Most Romantic Character in Literature

After a month long (and very scientific) poll on this blog, the most romantic character in literature is (drum roll please) JAMIE FRASER of the Outlander Series. This poll was conducted in response to Entertainment Weekly’s Shelf Life Blog on the topic of the results of a British poll in the Daily Telegraph. Confused? I did not believe in the results from the poll (as seen in this post) so I created my own poll and added Jamie Fraser, Edward Cullen, Captain Wentworth, and Colonel Brandon to the original 10 romantic characters. The top romantic heroes are as follows:

1. Jamie Fraser, Outlander (22%)
2. Edward Rochester, Jane Eyre (18%)
3. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Pride and Prejudice (13%)
4. Captain Wentworth, Persuasion (11%)
5. Rhett Butler, Gone With the Wind (10%)
6. Edward Cullen, Twilight (7%)
7. Mark Darcy, Bridget Jones Diary (5%)
8. Colonel Brandon, Sense & Sensibility (5%)
9. Henry DeTamble, The Time Traveler’s Wife (5%)
10. Heathcliff, Wuthering Heights (2%)
11. Richard Sharpe of Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe series (1%)
12. Gabriel Oak, Far From the Madding Crowd (1%)

Captain Corelli of Louis de Berniere’s Captain Corelli’s Mandolin and Rupert Campbell Black of Jilly Cooper’s The Rutshire Chronicles received zero votes.

Jamie Fraser had a run for his money with Mr. Rochester, but won in the end. I thought it was very interesting that Captain Wentworth came in a close fourth to Mr. Darcy. It seems that readers of this blog esteem him as highly as I do. Persuasion ties with Pride and Prejudice as my favorite Austen novel. The letter that Captain Wentworth writes to Anne is one of the most romantic moments in literature. I was also glad to see Heathcliff so far down on the list, although I did agree with one comment that although he is not a likeable character, one must admit that he does pursue Cathy with his full passion. I still know nothing about Richard Sharpe, but I saw that he will be in a couple of episodes of Masterpiece Classic this spring so I will have a chance to learn more about him.

I agree with my readers that Jamie Fraser is the most romantic character in literature. He is a handsome Scot that runs around in a kilt in Outlander, but he is much more than that. He is a man with deep passions and loyalty that inspires love in not only his soul mate Claire, but in a wide variety of people. His love for Claire grows through the years through trials and tribulations and still remains passionate when they are in their 50’s.

I dream of a day when I will be able to see Jamie Fraser in a movie or even better, an HBO mini-series. The photos I have on here were gleaned from other blogs that suggest that Gabriel Aubry or Gerard Butler would make a good Jamie. I’m not convinced, but I don’t have any good suggestions besides picking an unknown actor. What are your thoughts on an actor to play Jamie?

Still not convinced that Jamie is the most romantic character in literature? Here is one of my favorite quotes from him to Claire (in Dragonfly in Amber). If this does not convince you, I don’t know what will!

I will find you,” he whispered in my ear, “I promise. If I must endure two hundred years of purgatory – two hundred years without you – then that is my punishment, which I have earned for my crimes. For I have lied, and killed, and stolen; betrayed and broken trust. But there is one thing that shall lie in the balance. When I stand before God, I shall have one thing to say, to weight against the rest. Lord, ye gave me a rare woman, and God! I loved her well.”