Tag: Books

Book Giveaway – The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food by Jennifer 8. Lee

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HB 5

Today’s FREE book is a brand new trade paperback.  Published 2008, 293 pages.  Here’s the synopsis from B&N–

If you think McDonald’s is the most ubiquitous restaurant experience in America, consider that there are more Chinese restaurants in America than McDonalds, Burger Kings, and Wendys combined. New York Times reporter and Chinese-American (or American-born Chinese). In her search, Jennifer 8 Lee traces the history of Chinese-American experience through the lens of the food. In a compelling blend of sociology and history, Jenny Lee exposes the indentured servitude Chinese restaurants expect from illegal immigrant chefs, investigates the relationship between Jews and Chinese food, and weaves a personal narrative about her own relationship with Chinese food. The Fortune Cookie Chronicles speaks to the immigrant experience as a whole, and the way it has shaped our country.

To enter to win leave a comment with your email address. 

To earn one extra entry you can post this on Twitter or post it on your blog.  Leave me a separate comment telling me you did.

Open internationally.  Winner will be picked on October 11th.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s, by Truman Capote

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Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote: Book CoverFinished 10-02-09, rating 4/5, fiction novella, pub. 1958

“I could hear Doc Golightly’s footsteps climbing the stairs.  His head appeared above the banisters and Holly backed away from him, not as though she were frightened, but as though she were retreating into a shell of disappointment.  Then he was standing in front of her, hangdog and shy.  “Gosh, Lulamae,” he began, and hesitated, for Holly was gazing at him vacantly, as though she couldn’t place him.  “Gee, honey,” he said, “don’t they feed you up here?  You’re so skinny.  Like when I first saw you.  All wild around the eye.”

I love the movie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and wanted to read the novella it originated in.  This is a short story that is edgy and provocative in a way the movie was not.  There were many passages that were in the movie word for word, but oftentimes they were completely out of context.  The movie was romantic and Audrey Hepburn’s Holly Golightly was flawed and vulnerable, but not so with this amazing story.

Paul writes the story of his time spent with Holly Golightly years after they have seen each other for the last time, when he puts her on a plane to Brazil.  He decides is finally time to document the refreshing Holly and his love for her.  They lived in the same apartment and saw each other in passing for a while before their friendship blossomed.  His position was to view her from afar for the most part as the friendship stopped and started often.

Holly Golightly was an independent woman who knew what she wanted and didn’t let things like facts get in the way.  She was a phony, but a good phony.  Truman Capote wrote a beautiful novel  and even though it differed quite a bit from the movie, I loved it on its own merit.  If you are a fan of the movie you really must read this.  At around 100 pages it won’t take you long.

Book Giveaway – Fancy Pants by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

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HB 4

Today’s FREE book is a mass market paperback read once.  Published in 1989, 497 pages.  Here’s the synopsis-

She was the most beautiful British bauble in Europe’s jet-set playgrounds. Now she’s broke, furious, and limping down a backwoods road in an ugly pink Southern Belle gown….

He was tall, lean, and all-American gorgeous. He liked his brews cold and women loved to keep him warm. Why in hell is he stopping his car for this woebegone, surly Scarlett?

Meet Francesca Day and Dallie Beaudine, two incredible characters whose tangled love affair is at the heart of this ravishing New York Times bestseller from award-winning author Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Come enjoy the adventure of a lifetime — an irresistible story that’s touching, hilarious, and hellcat-passionate. You’ll never forget Dallie and the sassy lady who needs a good swift kick in her…

To enter to win leave a comment with your email address. 

To earn one extra entry you can post this on Twitter or post it on your blog.  Leave me a separate comment telling me you did.

Open internationally.  Winner will be picked on October 11th.

Book Giveaway – Transparency by Frances Hwang

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HB 2Today’s free book is a brand new trade paperback.  Published in 2007, 219 pages.  Here’s the synopsis from B&N–

With a deceptively simple yet graceful style, and in the tradition of Lara Vapnyar, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Gish Jen, Frances Hwang captures the thousand minor battles waged in the homes of immigrants—struggles to preserve timehonored traditions or break free of them, to maintain authority or challenge it, and to take advantage of modern excesses without diluting one’s ethnic identity.

To enter to win leave a comment with your email address. 

To earn one extra entry you can post this on Twitter or post it on your blog.  Leave me a separate comment telling me you did.

Open internationally.  Winner will be picked on October 11th.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie

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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie: Book CoverFinished audio 9-30-09, rating 5/5, YA, pub. 2007

This is a first person account of Junior, a 14-year-old on the Spokane reservation.  Born with physical problems that have made him a target of bullies, Junior uses his brain and his best friend, Rowdy, to navigate through school.  When he becomes frustrated with what textbooks are being used and hurls one that hits a teacher, he faces his first school disciplinary problem.  Instead of letting Arnold wallow and fail the teacher convinces him he needs to go off the rez to school, one with rich, white kids where he can learn to make his way in the non-Indian world.

Junior is Arnold at his new school and his acceptance by a popular girl leads Arnold to flourish socially as well as academically.  But he still has to go back to the reservation when the school day is over and the people there resent him for trying to become white.  Arnold must learn the fine balance of living between two worlds.  His parents and grandmother are very supportive, but his best friend Rowdy has disowned him.

I cannot say enough good things about this book or hope to do it any sort of justice, but I’ll just say that I adored it and so did my husband.  It was humorous, irreverent, painful, honest and often laugh-out-loud funny.  This book tackles serious issues like alcoholism and death, but also provides hope for Arnold in the form of old friends and new who see something special in him. 

My husband and I listened to the audiobook read by the author and we both agree that this was part of its appeal for us.  Alexie uses his distinctive voice to breathe life into Arnold and it was perfection.  I understand that there are book versions that have illustrations and I might have to buy one of these for my library.  It’s that good.

Book Giveaway – Travel Writing by Peter Ferry

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HB 1Today’s free book is a trade paperback read once.  Published in 2008, 294 pages.  Here’s the synopsis-

Pete Ferry, our narrator, teaches high school English in the wealthy Chicago suburb of Lake Forest and moonlights as a travel writer. On his way home after work one evening he witnesses a car accident that kills a beautiful woman named Lisa Kim. But was it an accident? Could Pete have prevented it? And did it actually happen, or is this just an elaborate tale he concocts to impart the power of story to his teenage students? Why can’t he stop thinking about Lisa Kim? And what might his obsession with her mean to his relationship with his girlfriend, Lydia?

To enter to win leave a comment with your email address. 

To earn one extra entry you can post this on Twitter or post it on your blog.  Leave me a separate comment telling me you did.

Open internationally.  Winner will be picked on October 11th.

My Birthday Giveaways

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This month on the 11th I’ll celebrate my birthday with my husband and then about a week later we’ll celebrate our 11th anniversary 🙂  Once a month I offer free books from my shelves and this month I’m doing something a little more fun.  Every day until my birthday I’ll be offering a free book or other freebie.  On the 11th, I’ll draw a winner for each of the days and announce my 11th giveaway.  It’s a surprise, but I think you’ll like it.

Here’s what I’m giving away…HB

You’ll have to come back each day to see what book is up for grabs.  I’ll post the links on this post each day, but you’ll have to go to the individual post to enter to win.  I’ll mail international.

1st – Travel Writing by Peter Ferry

2nd – Tranparency by Frances  Hwang

3rd – Mary Kay Indulge Soothing Eye Gel

4th – Fancy Pants by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

5th – The Fortune Chronicles:Adventures in the World of Chinese Food by Jennifer 8. Lee

6th – Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

7th – Heaven & Hell:My Life in the Eagles (1974-2001) by Don Felder

8th – Bookmark Pens

9th – The Red Siren by M.L. Tyndall

10th – Wifey by Judie Blume

Death Takes the Cake, by Melinda Wells

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Death Takes the Cake by Melinda Wells: Book CoverFinished 9-29-09, rating 4/5, mystery, pub.2009

Book 2 in the Della Cooks Mystery series.

“With what I’ve got planned, you’re going to be the Miss America of Cake!”

I felt a sharp intake of breath.  “No.  Absolutely not.  I won’t wear a bathing suit on television!”

He eyed me speculatively.  “What’s the problem?  You still look good.”

Still…

“If I hadn’t read your TV bio, I wouldn’t have guessed you’re in your forties,” Addison said.  “Maybe late thirties- but you should think about doing a little glamorizing.”

Chapter 1

Della is a 47-year-old widower with a cable tv cooking show, her own cooking school, and a new venture to sell her fudge to the masses.  Her life is already busy, but when her boss tells her she’ll be baking in a reality show with a $25,000 prize she knows it could help her pay off some of her debts.  Until she learns it is being sponsored by Reggi-Mixx, the most awful cake mixes on the market and owned by her old college nemesis, Regina Davis.

The competition begins and as soon as Della shows up to her test kitchen she discovers Reggie, face down in a bowl of batter, dead.  She is a suspect, but only until the police find a more likely one, the husband of her best friend, Liddy. 

Della’s standard poodle, Tuffy and rescue kitty, Emma are there to provide support, as is her boyfriend NDM, who has now been elevated to being called his given name, Nicholas.  All of her friends are back and this is a perfect continuation of the series.  Della is still awesome and the mystery is a good one with real consequences for her and Liddy.

I actually enjoyed the cooking in this one a little more and there are recipes in the back.  You can see how to make those holiday fruitcakes edible and learn how to make an awful cake mix taste good with Della’s Orange Dreamsicle Cake.  One of the other reality show contestants is a Mary Kay consultant and I should note that we are not all quite so…pink.

I want to thank Melinda for sending me a copy of her book.  I loved it!

My review of book 1 here.

Teaser Tuesday – Death Takes the Cake

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teasertuesdays31Teaser Tuesdaysis a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: Grab your current read. Open to a random page. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!). Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

When I met Car, I was surprised to discover that while he would never be described as movie star handsome, he was not bad looking.  In person he was more moody than ‘mad.’ reminding me somewhat of Jane Eyre‘s Mr. Rochester with a grease gun.

Death Takes the Cake by Melinda Wells, Chapter 14

Death Takes the Cake by Melinda Wells: Book Cover

Visit MizB for more teasers.  So what are you reading this week?

The Last Ember, by Daniel Levin

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The Last EmberFinished 9-24-09, rating 4.5/5, thriller, pub. 2009

“The Temple Mount was surrounded by fifty thousand Roman soldiers,” he said, turning to the professor, “and the priest escaped through here, along this aqueduct.”

His flashlight revealed a narrow stone aqueduct stretching into the darkness.  It appeared to float across the dark chasm that lay on either side.

“And he took with him the one artifact that brought down a Roman emperor.”

Chapter 7

Jonathan is an archeology scholar and Rome Prize winner turned New York City lawyer.  He is sent to Rome by his firm to help them in a stolen artifacts case and he is almost immediately confronted by his ex-girlfriend and a centuries old mystery involving the world’s  three main religions.  Jonathan past study of the traitor Josephus gives him special insight into the clue this stolen artifact provides, a clue that he thinks could lead him to the Tabernacle menorah that was stolen from Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago.  As he travels with his ex Emili to the Colosseum and other hot spots in Rome they follow a series of clues while the police are trying to find them.  Using Emili’s UN credentials the two race back to Jerusalem to stop the Waqf and their destruction of the what is beneath the Temple Mount.

This is a religious thriller that I compare to the da Vinci Code in only the post positive aspects.  The pace, story and setting were top notch and had a hard time putting it down.  Since our vacation to Italy last year I’ve loved reading stories that take place in Italy and this book made me want to go back and take a tour of all places Jonathan visited, but since many of them are under the city that is probably not going to happen.

It was also complicated and loaded with historical and religious facts.  The only thing that slowed down my reading at all was the multitude of knowledge that I tried to take in.  I do not normally read historical fiction, so most of this was new to me as were many of the names.   To make all of this history interesting, the plot is lightning quick and full of fantastic and seemingly far fetched occurences.  And that was okay because I loved it.

I highly recommend this if you love thrillers, historical fiction, The daVinci Code, Italy, Jerusalem, suspense, religious mysteries, or archeology.  That covers a lot of people.  Does it include you?

I attended a book signing with Daniel Levin and he will be featured in one of my 9 in ’09 interview soon.