Many thanks to Marcia at The Printed Page for hosting Mailbox Monday every week!
It is so much fun to see what everyone is getting in the mail.
Thanks for taking the time to visit ~ I just love hearing from you! Please let me know if you have read any of these books - I'd love to hear how you liked them!! :)
Here are the books that came into my house last week:
From Sourcebooks for upcoming releases:
The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer - Fiction
Frederica by Georgette Heyer - Fiction
The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer - Fiction
Other books:
How to Mess Up Your Child's Life by Olivia and Kurt Bruner - Non-Fiction / Christian Living / Parenting - Recieved from the publisher
Katt's in the Cradle by Ginger Kolbaba and Christy Scannell - Fiction / Christian - Received via the publisher for an upcoming WildCard Tour
The Obama Revolution by Alan Kennedy-Shaffer - Non-Fiction / Politics / Elections - received via Pump Up You Book for a tour in April
Smart Girls Mary Money ARC by Elizabeth Ford and Daniela Drake - Non-Fiction / Relationships - received via Shelf Awareness
Thrive, Don't Simply Survive by Karol Ladd - Non-Fiction / Christian Living - Received via the publisher for an upcoming WildCard Tour
The Woman of Mystery by Hayley DiMarco - Non-Fiction / Christian Living / Relationships - Recieved via the publisher for an upcoming WildCard Tour
Yesterday's Embers by Deborah Raney - Fiction / Christian Romance - Received via the publisher for an upcoming WildCard Tour
What was in your mailbox last week??
If you would like to participate in Mailbox Monday, head over to The Printed Page and grab the logo. Make sure to visit other blogs hosting Mailbox Monday and comment/leave your link!
This Week In Books is all about great bloggers and the books they are reading! We are trying to support each other by sharing posts from the previous week. I invite you to take a look at some of these posts. These blogs are all wonderful, and promise some great reading!
Stop by Devourer of Books and read about Eric Carle, whose book The Very Hungry Caterpillarjust celebrated 40 years of being in print, and serves as a very special theme for her coming baby boy!
Amy at My Friend Amy's has written a post about a chain of one dollar bookstores in Southern California, adding that she plans to make the post a regular feature.
Kathy of Bermudaonion's Weblog has written a review of The Red Leather Diary, which sounds absolutely amazing!
Shelley over at Write for a Reader has written a review for a children's book called A Carousel Tale by Elisa Klevin. Here is another really cute children's book with a fun cover!
Trish over at Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'? has a post that she talks about the possibility of an upcoming book blogger retreat in Portland, OR July 18-19th. I'm hoping to go, stop by and read about the details. . . also let me know if you would be interested in meeting near Seattle, WA June 22nd!
Marta of Marta's Meanderings is sharing information on the Cheerios Helping Hearts and cholesterol, and she gets to give away two freshwater pearl bracelets!
Stop by Beth Fish Reads and check out her review and interview of Zig-Zagging by Tom Wilson. Any fans of Ziggy out there? Be sure and check out this post!
Carrie over at Books and Movies has shared some great information about audiobooks, and her top 12!!
This morning, Kelly over at Enroute to Life has a great roundup of current giveaways!
Well, that is all for this week - I hope you will stop by and visit a few of these posts!
Title: Everyone is Beautiful Author: Katherine Center Pages: 256 Publisher: Ballantine Books (February 17, 2009) Genre: Fiction / Chic lit Edition: Received from Dorothy of Pump Up Your Book Promotion
Note: I hope you will stop by on Monday, when I'll have a guest post from the author of Everyone is Beautiful, Katherine Center.
Perfect for : Personal reading, book club read, sharing with a good friend
In a nutshell: Its not often that I find myself enthusiastically nodding my head in agreement to something I'm reading in a fiction book, but there was just something about this book that made me do a double-take! Either the author has experienced life in a similar way that I have, or she has done her homework! Katherine Center has written a beautiful book that is full of life, and not just some fantasy life, but a real life, and one that I can relate to, with the perfect amount of reality and humor! Any mom out there will appreciate this book, both for the challenges that children and family life provides, and for the way we see ourselves. This is a truly wonderful story of a woman who is first and foremost a wife and mom, and now she is trying to re-discover herself as well. Let this beautifully written story help you to re-evaluate life by taking a look into the life of Lanie, and learning to look at life from a beautiful perspective, and the fact that sometimes you have to take a step back and look at the special things in your life from another angle. Everyone is Beautiful should be read by. . . EVERYONE!
Extended Review: Characters: With a friend like Amanda to periodically surprise her and challenge her thinking, Nora, the "mean witch" from the apartment below theirs, and a husband to love who just might be a little too focused at times, you will absolutely love Lanie Coates and the characters she interacts with. Lanie, Peter, the boys, Nora, Josh, Amanda . . . each person is beautiful in their own way.
Story-Line: Lanie seems to be a smart woman who has become derailed from herself. She lives for her husband and kids, and hasn't really taken the time to focus on herself. The family moves to support her husband's job, and she starts to find ways to re-focus on herself a little (going to the gym, enrolling in a photography class).
Readability: This book has the perfect mix of life (both the ups and the downs) and humor. Easy to read, and hard to put down!
Overall: The story is a life-affirming one, that will help you to re-focus on the things that are really important in life. I highly encourage you to get a copy of this book, and share it with the women in your life! Show them how beautiful they really are.
From Amazon: Lanie Coates’s life is spinning out of control. She’s piled everything she owns into a U-Haul and driven with her husband, Peter, and their three little boys from their cozy Texas home to a multiflight walkup in the Northeast. She’s left behind family, friends, and a comfortable life–all so her husband can realize his dream of becoming a professional musician. But somewhere in the eye of her personal hurricane, it hits Lanie that she once had dreams too. If only she could remember what they were.
These days, Lanie always seems to rank herself dead last–and when another mom accidentally criticizes her appearance, it’s the final straw. Fifteen years, three babies, and more pounds than she’s willing to count since the day she said “I do,” Lanie longs desperately to feel like her old self again. It’s time to rise up, fish her moxie out of the diaper pail, and find the woman she was before motherhood capsized her entire existence.
Lanie sets change in motion–joining a gym, signing up for photography classes, and finding a new best friend. But she also creates waves that come to threaten her whole life. In the end, Lanie must figure out once and for all how to find herself without losing everything else in the process.
Katherine Center’s Everyone Is Beautiful is a hugely entertaining, poignant, and charming new novel about what happens after happily ever after: how a woman learns to fall in love with her husband–and her entire life–all over again.
About the Author: (from Amazon) Katherine Center is the author of The Bright Side of Disaster. She graduated from Vassar College, where she won the Vassar College Fiction Prize, and received an MA in fiction from the University of Houston. She served as fiction co-editor for the literary magazine Gulf Coast, and her graduate thesis, Peepshow, a collection of stories, was a finalist for the Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction. A former freelance writer and teacher, she lives in Houston with her husband and two young children.
The wonderful people at Hachette Book Group are helping me give away five copies of The Engine 2 Diet: The Texas Firefighter's 28-Day Save-Your-Life Plan that Lowers Cholesterol and Burns Away the Pounds, which was just published February 25th!! The books will be shipped directly from the publisher.
From my review: In a nutshell: This is a great book for anyone who needs to lose weight or lower their cholesterol. It is a pretty strict diet, eliminating dairy, processed foods and meat, but the author has provided explanations and the science behind why this diet works (this helps provide encouragement). He even says that if you don't do the entire diet, you can still use the basics to eat healthier every day. In my case, that is what I am trying to do. With two adults and a toddler in the house, I really don't see a strictly vegetarian diet working for our family, but I do understand the power behind adding more plant-based foods to our diet. Rip Esselstyn has also included some basic exercises and a whole section of recipes, with some great tips worked in. This diet has been endorsed by Lance Armstrong, as well as many medical doctors, and was tested by over 65 people when the author was first validating it.
You CAN enter daily, but make sure you leave different cleaning or organizing suggestions each time!
To be included in the giveaway: 1. Leave a comment here and tell me your favorite fruit or vegetable and leave your email (1 entry daily) 2. Leave a comment on the review (1 entry) 3. Post a link to the giveaway on your blog and report it here (1 entry) 4. Become a follower and leave a comment here (or "remind" me you are already a follower so I know you want to be included in this giveaway) (1 entry)
The drawing will be held April 30th. Winners: I will send you each an email, you will need to reply with your address so I can forward it to the publisher or send the book directly to you. In the event that a winner does not respond, I will go to the next name in the drawing and notify them.
This giveaway is open to residents within the United States and Canada, but books will NOT be shipped to PO Boxes.
Title: The Engine 2 Diet: The Texas Firefighter's 28-Day Save-Your-Life Plan that Lowers Cholesterol and Burns Away the Pounds Author: Rip Esselstyn Pages: 288 Publisher: Wellness Central; 1 edition (February 25, 2009) Genre: Non-Fiction / Health / Diet / Nutrition Edition: Hardback - many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy to review!
Perfect for : Personal Use
In a nutshell: This is a great book for anyone who needs to lose weight or lower their cholesterol. It is a pretty strict diet, eliminating dairy, processed foods and meat, but the author has provided explanations and the science behind why this diet works (this helps provide encouragement). He even says that if you don't do the entire diet, you can still use the basics to eat healthier every day. In my case, that is what I am trying to do. With two adults and a toddler in the house, I really don't see a strictly vegetarian diet working for our family, but I do understand the power behind adding more plant-based foods to our diet. Rip Esselstyn has also included some basic exercises and a whole section of recipes, with some great tips worked in. This diet has been endorsed by Lance Armstrong, as well as many medical doctors, and was tested by over 65 people when the author was first validating it.
Extended Review: Content: The book contains three primary sections: The E2 Diet, Making It Work, and Recipes and Meal Plans. In the first section the author has done a great job of explaining why he created the Engine 2 Diet, the science behind it, its affect on critical medical conditions like stroke and diabetes, and some basic exercises (will pictures). The second section addresses the type of attitude you should have when you participate in the diet (support, the ability to forgive yourself, etc), vital signs (weight, cholesterol, etc), reading nutritional labels, and continuing the diet beyond the initial 28 days. The final section is made up of sections that address how to stock your kitchen, an example menu and over 100 pages of recipes that support the E2 Diet.
Format: The book is straight forward, explaining the diet, how to make it work, actual recipes, and includes plenty of examples and tips.
Readability: Easy to read and understand.
Overall: The science behind this diet shows why it works, and what you can expect if you follow it. Anyone who has a history of medical problems in their family, or who is experiencing a medical condition such as diabetes or high cholesterol should really look closely at this diet. If you don't feel you can follow the diet to the T, at least try to make lifestyle changes to embrace more plant-based foods by incorporating some of the wonderful recipes contained in the book.
From Amazon: "I've known Rip for more than 20 years. In that time, he's been a great motivator for so many people. This terrific book will inspire all who read it to change their lives and optimize their health."-Lance Armstrong, cancer survivor, seven-time Tour de France champion
Lose weight, lower cholesterol, significantly reduce the risk of disease, and become physically fit--in just 4 weeks.
Professional athlete-turned-firefighter Rip Esselstyn is used to responding to emergencies. So, when he learned that some of his fellow Engine 2 firefighters in Austin, TX, were in dire physical condition-several had dangerously high cholesterol levels (the highest was 344!)-he sprang into action and created a life-saving plan for the firehouse. By following Rip's program, everyone lost weight (some more than 20 lbs.), lowered their cholesterol (Mr. 344's dropped to 196), and improved their overall health. Now, Rip outlines his proven plan in this book. With Rip as your expert coach and motivator, you'll transform your body and lifestyle in a month. His plant-powered eating plan is based on a diet of whole foods, including whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds. This invaluable guide features: **Dozens of easy, mouthwatering recipes-from pancakes to pizza, Tex-Mex favorites to knockout chocolate desserts-that will keep you looking forward to every bite **Pantry-stocking tips will take the panic out of inevitable cravings and on-the-fly meals **Guidelines on menu choices that will allow you to eat out, wherever and whenever you want **Rip's simple, firefighter-inspired exercise program that will boost your metabolism and melt your fat away.
Medically approved, easy-to-follow, and amazingly effective, this diet is designed for anyone who wants to make heroic strides in his or her health, weight, and well-being-all without heroic effort.
"Want to be as strong as a Texas firefighter? Or as healthy as a professional triathlete? Then follow the wonderful advice of Rip Esselstyn, who is both. His book can save your life--whether you're a man or a woman. Highly recommended!" -Dean Ornish, M.D., Founder and President, Preventive Medicine Research Institute, Clinical Professor of Medicine, U of CaliforniaSF, author, Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease
About the Author: (From Amazon) Rip Esselstyn was born in upper New York state and moved to Austin,Texas in 1982 to attend The University of Texas where he was an All-American swimmer. After spending 10 years as a professional triathlete Rip joined the fire department in 1997. For more information on Rip and THE ENGINE 2 DIET you can go to www.theengine2diet.com.
If you have reviewed this book and would like me to add a link to your review, please include a link in your comment!
Welcome to another week of Tuesday Thingers! We always love to hear from regular participants as well as new people.
Last week we looked at the Member Giveaways section of Library thing. One person suggested looking at the meme's section of the Home page, and I'm thrilled they did! Imagine my surprise when I went to the meme section and discovered that there are new memes!! Last time I visited the meme section, I think there were two available. One for finding duplicates among your books, and the other for You and No None Other, which shows which books you have that only one other member has.
Question: Do you visit the memes section often? Have you visited recently? Have you discovered anything that surprises you when you visit the memes for your library?
My Answer: When I first saw the memes section, I thought of the memes many of us participate in: Mailbox Monday, Tuesday Thinger, Teaser Tuesday, etc., so I was expecting to see a list of weekly memes available for users to join in. I didn't know that a meme was simply something that is imitated (on a most basic level, per one of the definitions on Wikipedia), or in this case, a list of statistics that you can pull from the LT database that pertains to your particular book shelf.
I don't visit the meme section often, in fact, I wasn't aware that there were new memes available. I visited late last week, and again today to get ready for this post.
An interesting few facts that I learned from the meme section: I have one book on my shelf that only one other member of LT has: Skipper's Revenge by Julie Teahan. Another interesting fact: LT has Jane Porter listed as dead, and I know for a fact that she isn't! I met her a few months ago, she lives within 15 miles of where I live, and she updates her blog regularly. :) Another . . . only approx. 23% of my books are written by men, although at least 5 of the "unknown" authors are men as well.
Looking forward to reading everyone's answers!!
~ Wendi
If you are new to Tuesday Thingers: Welcome! The meme was originally created as a way to network with other bloggers and to learn about Library Thing! I'd like to encourage you to join us. If you don't know what Library Thing is - you are in a great place to learn about new things, and if you are an old pro, stick around and share your wealth of information! Visit Library Thing here. To join in, copy the picture and question into your post and link back here so people can read other responses. Make sure you leave a comment here with a link to your post so we can stop by! If you don't have a blog, feel free to leave a comment here!
Many thanks to Marcia at The Printed Page for hosting Mailbox Monday every week!
