Current Giveaways!!!

Ok...One last post before I head out!  Here are a couple of great giveaways that I wanted to let you all know about:

Savvy Verse and Wit is giving away Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah--Contest ends 3/31.

Pudgy Penguin Perusals is giving away The Local News by Miriam Gershow--Contest ends 4/3.

Peeking Between the Pages is giving away the entire Pendragon's Banner Trilogy by Helen Hollick--Contest ends 4/10.

Adios!

Mailbox Monday

Thanks to Marcia of The Printed Page for hosting the Mailbox Monday Meme that has us list the books that we received last week. You can go to her blog to see what everyone else got last week or to play along.

 The Age of Orphans by Leleh Khadivi

Lamb Bright Saviors by Robert Vivian

The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry 

So was anything good in your mailbox last week? I can't wait to see what my mailbox looks like after my vacation! Have a great week everyone!

Java With Jo

As I am preparing to leave on my Mexican vacation tomorrow afternoon I wanted to take a moment to let you know that I probably won't be taking away from my beach time to update this blog or check in on all of the blogs that I usually read on a daily basis.  I might be able to sneak a little peek here and there but I'm really not counting on it! 

The week after our vacation is also looking to be pretty busy for me already.  With the software training that I have to attend at work and going to see BON JOVI on April 7th, my blog reading will be limited once again.  But I am thinking that will be the perfect time to post my review of the Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful book.  This concert is going to be a Rockin' Good Time!

I do plan on posting my Mailbox Monday post tomorrow morning but after that it's Hasta La Vista everyone!  Have a wonderful week and I look forward to seeing what you all were up when I get back!

Giveaway of This One is Mine and Interview with Maria Semple!

I am very excited today to welcome Maria Semple to Jo-Jo Loves to read!!!  Maria is the author of This One is Mine, which was recently just released in paperback.  If you missed my review of this book you can read it here.  I am also going to give away my hardcover copy of this book at the bottom of this post!

Now on with the interview!

1. What was your inspiration for writing This One is Mine?
I wanted to write the kind of novel I liked to read. It was really that simple. And since I'd been on a jag of rereading Victorian novels, I thought about my story and characters and subject matter in terms of that: marriages, affairs, rich and poor people, social criticism. I wrote what I knew, basically, which was life in LA, and amped it up a bit, to make it more dramatic.

2. Could you please explain your writing process to us, including whether you know the endings of your books when you begin?
I think it's really important to know the ending before you begin. I usually know the ending, and a couple of key beats I need to hit. For instance, in THIS ONE IS MINE, I knew I wanted to hear from David in the middle of the book, and bring him to life during the weekend at the yoga retreat while Violet was back home with Teddy. I was writing towards that. But most of the other stuff you discover as you write. And when you're in the thick of writing, it is truly magical how you'll write something without even realizing how well it fits into something else. For instance, in THIS ONE IS MINE, I knew Sally was going to get married, and I knew Violet and Teddy would have a big blow out. And then I wrote the scene where David offered Sally his house for her wedding. And then, AHA, I realized it would be a great place for Violet and Teddy to have a blow out, and lots of other stuff fell into place during that scene, too.

3. Do you attend any workshops or do you belong to any writing groups that have helped to improve your writing skills?
I never went through a MFA program. Early into the process, I was part of a writing group where they edited pages. But I quit after a few sessions, because I didn't want to start editing a first draft. My gut was that I should get to the end on my own without a lot of input. It was the right decision.

4. I know that you were a writer for quite a few successful television shows, including one of my favorites, Mad About You (I loved the cumin episode). Are you ever tempted to go back to this type of work and if so, what do you miss about it?
I miss the people. The camaraderie of the writers is something that's hard to replicate anywhere outside the writer's room. But nothing else tempts me about going back. I've since moved to Seattle, which makes it pretty easy to not think about.

5. I have heard from several author interviews that the publishing/editing process can be a very humbling experience. What was this experience like for you and do you have any suggestions for aspiring authors to help them deal with this process?
Hmmm. I don't think there's any way you can prepare someone for the publication process. Once you've gone through it, you get it totally. But being published for the first time comes with a lot of expectations that will almost certainly not go the way you imagine. That's a hard thing to try to tell someone. So my advice is to have a few friends who are published novelists who can help you gain perspective as the process unwinds. And as for marketing, it's all changing so fast. It's important that you take matters into your own hands. And most of all, realize that the true reward is in the writing itself.

6. Could you tell us a little bit about the book you are working on now?
If I knew more about it, I would! I love the character and the subject. I'm currently struggling with technical aspects of it. First person or third? That kind of thing.

7. What are some hobbies that you enjoy during your down time (if you have down time, that is)?
Reading, of course. Cooking, gardening. Yoga.

8. What would an ideal "night on the town" in Seattle consist of for you?
Getting into bed early and reading! Seriously, that's where I am in my life right now. If I were back in LA, I'd give you a much more glamor-filled answer.

9. Who are some of your favorite authors and what are you reading now?
I just finished AWAIT YOUR REPLY by Dan Chaon, which I really enjoyed. I love Matthew Kneale, Jonathan Evison, Barbara Trapido, Philip Roth, Charles Portis.

Thanks so much for taking the time for this interview Maria and I will be anxiously awaiting your next book! 

Now for the giveaway for those of you that may want this book for yourself!

To enter this contest you must be at least 18 and live in the U.S. or Canada.

For one entry leave me a comment including your email address below.

For two additional entries, blog about this contest or add the link to your sidebar.

Please include your email so I will have a way to contact you if you win.

You will have until April 16th to enter and I will draw for winners on April 17th.

Good luck everyone!

Giveaway is closed.

The Winners of the Black Hills Audiobooks!

I am very excited today to announce the winners of the Black Hills audiobooks! 

The winners are......

janetfaye
Stacy
Barb

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all who stopped by to enter the contest.  I will be emailing you shortly to get your mailing information to forward to the publisher.  Thanks again to Anna from Hachette for offering this giveaway on my blog.

Review: Matrimony by Joshua Henkin

Here is a summary of Matrimony from the Reading Group Guides website:

Matrimony explores themes of love and friendship, sickness and health, money and ambition, desire and tensions of faith --- the kinds of big issues that make it perfect for a book club discussion.


Matrimony starts in 1987, when Julian Wainwright, an aspiring novelist and the Waspy son of New York old money, meets beautiful, Jewish Mia Mendelsohn in the college laundry room. So begins a love affair that, spurred on by family tragedy, carries the couple to graduation and beyond, through a series of college towns, spanning twenty years. Matrimony is about what it's like to fall in love when you're young and to try to stay in love as you reach middle age. As People Magazine said: "Charming.... Henkin keeps you reading with original characters, witty dialogue, and a view that marriage, for all its flaws, is worth the trouble."

My Review:
Matrimony by Joshua Henkin brought us through the lives of a couple that met in college and through the years of their struggling marriage.  Struggling, is the key word here because marriage can be hard at times and I believe it's how we deal with these struggles in everyday life that help make a marriage stronger.  It's not just the good husband, good wife, successful jobs that make a marriage, but the little things that occur every day that matter, and Henkin did a great job of portraying that in this book.

Julian Wainwright comes from a privileged family when he first goes off to college.  With the help of his writing professor, Mr. Chesterfield, he becomes close friends with Carter Heinz, who comes from the opposite end of the economic spectrum.  They build a lasting friendship throughout their college careers and it's thanks to Carter that Julian is able to finally meet Mia.  Before too long, Carter and his new girlfriend Pilar, and Julian and Mia seem to be inseparable.  When the relationships start to get serious they find themselves spending vacations with their girlfriends at their homes.

I enjoyed how this story not only gave us a glimpse of Julian's life, but also of the life that Mia had come from.  Mia had been very close to her parents but seemed to struggle with her relationship with her sister after she left for college.  Later in the novel the two girls do end up being a bit closer because of circumstances, but they each confess that they wish they could be closer yet.  This was probably my favorite part of the book, mostly because I had a good relationship with my sister as an adult and she is no longer with me.

When Julian and Mia decided to get married in the book, I must admit that I was a bit surprised.  I thought that they were making an irrational decision at the time and not thinking clearly.  This possibly could have set the tone for the marriage to encounter more struggles down the road.  They both seemed to make concessions for each other that they were not happy with that almost destroyed their marriage completely.

I enjoyed how this novel truly portrayed how easily it is to make a wrong decision within your marriage and personal life.  We usually only see the outside shell of people and can only comment on how easy things are for some of them.  And on the opposite spectrum we can't believe how others can make such stupid decisions.  I have come to realize that these decisions are all dependent upon everyone's specific situations so is it really right for me to judge them?  This book really gave me a lot to think about regarding marriage, relationships, friendships, and forgiveness and I'm looking forward to discussing this with my book club.

My Rating:  4/5

Disclosure:  I read this book for my own entertainment and I will also be discussing it with my book club.

Teaser Tuesday-March 23

Check out Teaser Tuesdays from Should Be Reading.  TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

Grab your current read.

Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

This week my teaser is from The Sweet By and By by Todd Johnson:
If Rhonda is in a good mood, she will in fact wet the scraggly strands of yarn that are Mister Benny's hair, put a few drops of shampoo on it, and rinse it out over the sink.  Seeing her do that for the first time made me like her, although that is still no excuse for being so rough on my head.

pg. 73

Mailbox Monday-March 22

Thanks to Marcia of The Printed Page for hosting the Mailbox Monday Meme that has us list the books that we received last week. You can go to her blog to see what everyone else got last week or to play along.

My mailbox has been pretty slow for about the last month but last week made up for it!  Here is what I received:

 Worst Case audiobook by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge

Absolute Power audiobook by David Baldacci

The Swimming Pool by Holly Lecraw

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno by Ellen Bryson

Things I've Been Silent About  by Nazar Nafisi

Well I definitely have enough to choose from to pack in my suitcase next week!  It's good to have all of these books to occupy myself since I brought my daughter back to college yesterday.  So what was in your mailbox this week?

Java With Jo

Well it has certainly been a busy week for me and since my sinuses have not been cooperating with me it has made it that much tougher.  While I was thinking about getting up early to exercise this morning, I quickly ruled that out!  I do have a choir concert tomorrow night so I'm hoping I can shake this thing by then.  I'm starting to think that maybe I'm not meant to be in the choir since I became sick before our Christmas concert also.  Could this be a sign? 

Could I be any more excited about our family vacation coming up?  I really don't think so!  In just twelve short days I will be lounging on a beach in Cancun, Mexico and I cannot wait to soak of the sun.  Now the dilemma of figuring out what books I should bring along...oh such problems!

I couldn't help but be excited when I got home yesterday and found two books that I had no idea were even being sent to me!  I just love those little surprises and it is especially fun since my mailbox has been pretty slow the last couple of weeks.  You will have to wait until Mailbox Monday to see what I received.

I also want to say that I am totally envious of all of you that will be going to the BEA in a couple of months!  This sounds like such a fun time and a great way to get to meet some of those bloggers that you already feel you know.  Watch out New York because I will be there next year!

Winners of Worst Case!

I have some winners to announce for the Worst Case audiobook by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge!  The three lucky winners are..................

Anne-Marie T.

Donna

Bookie

Congratulations everyone!  I will be emailing you shortly to get your mailing information so the publisher can mail out the audiobook! Thanks again to Anna from Hachette for offering this giveaway on my blog and thanks to everyone else that stopped by to enter the contest.

Review and Blog Tour: The Circle of Friends Book V: Heather by L. Diane Wolfe

It is an honor to be a part of the blog tour for L. Diane Wolfe's latest installment of her Circle of Friends series.  Here is a summary of the book:

THE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS

BOOK V … HEATHER

BY L. DIANE WOLFE

When confidence turns to frustration…

A new beginning awaits Heather Jennings. The position at Clemson means she will finally realize her dream of coaching basketball. Heather is ready to focus on her duties, using sheer force if necessary to prove her independence.

Sadly, her triumph is hampered as her father and greatest advocate lies dying of cancer. Battling her grief, she must also deal with a sister who appears incapable of responsibility or achievement. And once basketball season begins, a talented but cocky player who resembles her in every manner challenges all that remains of Heather’s patience.

Heather’s life changes when she encounters a man capable of handling her bold and feisty attitude. Straightforward and smug, he entices her to date him, and despite his gruff nature shows a great capacity for compassion. However, the last thing Heather needs is a serious relationship with a man equally fixated on work and opposed to marriage…

My Review:

This series of books is considered to be part of the YA fiction genre, but they seem to reach into a place in my heart every time that I read one of them. I have only read a couple of YA fiction novels, not really sure if this is a genre that I want to continue with, but I know I can never go wrong with one of Wolfe's novels.

Although this story is about Heather, I believe that it is just as much about Mark and his problems and how they come together to work things out as a team.  These two strong and independent people had to reach deep within their souls to realize that they had something special to offer to other people, rather than only selfishly considering their personal well being.  

Heather has always had a strong relationship with both of her parents, but when her father becomes ill she thinks that she has to be the one to take care of everything for her mother.  Since Heather lived in Clemson where she worked as an assistant basketball coach it became very frustrating for her to not be able to be there for her mother at all times.  So she would find herself having feelings of anger towards her younger sister Dawn when Dawn would not step up to the plate and take on the responsibility that Heather could not fulfill when she wasn't around.

I found myself very upset with Heather's attitude toward Dawn throughout most of the book.  As an older sibling that no longer lives at home, I think that you automatically expect the younger sibling to take on more responsibility without taking into account the fact that they are still young and everyone deals with grief differently.  I finally let up on Heather about halfway through the book when I realized that I probably treated my younger sister in a similar manner years ago.  As the book proceeds and they deal with their relationship issues, I found that I couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

Mark is another strong-willed individual that happens to be a workaholic so he never seems to have much extra time for leisure.  From the moment that Heather walked into his office at the car lot that his father owns, that attitude slowly chips away.  Mark also has a very strong anti-marriage attitude since his parents divorced when he was quite young, so the last thing that he expects is to fall in love with Heather.  Since they both have very demanding work schedules and sometimes they can only see each other once a week, falling in love seems to be a very unlikely scenario so he considers their relationship to be a matter of convenience.

I loved watching Mark and Heather grow emotionally throughout this book.  As they dealt with the problems that arose, they found that they could count on each other for strength rather than trying to go it alone. This book was full of surprises that will keep the reader engaged both mentally and emotionally.    I also want to stress that just because this book is part of a series it really does stand alone quite well.  I have only read one other book in the series and I had no problem becoming immersed into the pages.  With themes of love, grief, and forgiveness I think that this book will be loved by not only young adults, but anyone looking for a touching story.  

My Rating: 4/5

Disclosure:  This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Author Information:

L. Diane Wolfe

Professional Speaker & Author 

www.spunkonastick.net www.thecircleoffriends.net

Known as “Spunk On A Stick,” Wolfe is a member of the National Speakers Association. “Overcoming Obstacles With SPUNK! The Keys to Leadership & Goal-Setting”, ties all of her goal-setting and leadership seminar’s information together into one complete, enthusiastic package. Her YA series, The Circle of Friends, features morally grounded, positive stories that appeal to both teens and concerned parents. Ten years associating with a motivation training system and experience as a foster parent gave her the in-depth knowledge of relationships, personality traits and success principles. Wolfe travels extensively for media interviews and speaking engagements, maintains a dozen websites & blogs, manages an online writer’s group, and contributes to several other sites.

You can view a list of the entire blog tour here.

Current Giveaways!!!

Here are some giveaways that I found out in blogland this week that I wanted to share with you all!

Wise Owl Book Review is giving away The Help by Kathryn Stockett--HURRY-Contest ends TODAY- 3/15.

So Many Precious Books, So Little Time  is giving away The Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano--Contest ends 3/17.

Savvy Verse and Wit is giving away The Wives of Henry Oades--Contest ends 3/18.

Laura's Reviews is giving away The Kingmaking Trilogy by Helen Hollick--Contest ends 3/26.

One Person's Journey is giving away The Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano--Contest ends 3/27.

Peeking Between the Pages is giving away The Local News by Miriam Gershow--Contest ends 3/28.

Laura's Reviews  is giving away The Stolen Crown by Susan Higginbotham--Contest ends 4/2.

Good luck everyone!

Reagan Arthur Challenge!

Since I have started listening to The Unnamed audiobook by Joshua Ferris I figured it was a good time to join this challenge.  You can find out all about the challenge here, but I will tell you that it sounds pretty stress-free to me.  This is a perpetual challenge and there is no end date.  You also do not need to make a list of books before you start the challenge-just check the list of books on the challenge site and if you read one of them that counts towards the challenge!

I will update this post as I complete books for this challenge.

1.  The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris--Completed 3/14/2010
2.  Black Hills by Dan Simmons--Completed 5/17/2010
3.  The Island by Elin Hilderbrand--Completed 10/28/2010
4.  The Traitor's Wife by Kathleen Kent--Completed 8/19/11
5.  Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand--Completed 9/6/11




Thanks much to Bermudaonion and Booking Mama for co-hosting this challenge.  It sounds like they have some fun things planned for this challenge and also some great literature to look forward to!

Book Club Chatter

Welcome to another week of Book Club Chatter where I hope to discuss all things book club on a weekly basis. I thought this would  be a fun way for each of us to share one little tidbit every week.




So here is my question for you this week:
Does your group use prepared discussion questions to discuss the books you read?  If not, how do you go about talking about the different aspects of the book?


My Answer:
Our group does use discussion questions, but we certainly do not limit ourselves to those.  We usually find the questions in the book, author websites, publisher websites, or at the Reading Group Guides website.  I have found that with our group it helps to get conversations started and keep us focused on discussing the book.


There is not a deadline as to when you need to post or answer this question, so please feel free to join in at your convenience. You can either leave your answer in the comments below or post your answer on your blog and leave the link below.

Review: Denise's Daily Dozen by Denise Austin

Here is a summary of Denise's Daily Dozen from the Hachette website:

From Denise Austin comes the perfect health book for anyone who wants to live better but just can't seem to find the time. Much more than just another excercise book, Denise's Daily Dozen covers a whole range of health and diet related concepts yet manages it all in a no-stress, time-conscious program of 12's. At it's core, this book contains the minimum daily requirements to keep the reader flexible, strong and trim. Organized simply into seven chapters, which equal the seven days of the week, it covers a full week in daily allotments. Each day will have it's own focus from Monday being "fat burning day" to Sunday's "recharge and rejuvenate."

Denise has created a total body program, including a 7-day balanced meal plan that includes healthy recipes, and a workout that encompasses 12 exercises done in 12 minutes each day. Everyone can take just 12 minutes, at whatever time of the day works for them, and turn it over to these simple and fun exercises. Cardio, toning, yoga and breathing exercises...they're all here but in a way the maximizes effect while minimizing time.

Beyond a dozen exercises for each day of the week this book will include many other of Denises dozens for each day. 

My Review:
I am now 41 years old and as I reflect on my life I can honestly say I have always been an active person.  I have not ever been overweight, but I have definitely gone up a few sizes over the last twenty years.  I remember reading some other diet books in the past and not even being able to read halfway through them because I knew that I would never be able to follow the diet plans.  Denise Austin is such a great motivator that after reading the first couple of chapters I found myself wanting to read more and feeling better about myself before I even did the first exercise!

I love how within this book Denise Austin breaks everything down into groups of a dozen.  From your daily dozen exercises to your daily dozen foods, she makes it a very easy program to follow.  The only item that I am truly struggling with is besides completing your daily dozen exercises you should also put in twelve miles of a cardiovascular activity.  I'm probably lucky if I can get six miles in!  But I'm not throwing in the towel and giving up. That's another thing that I like about her attitude.  She realizes that we are all human and we are not going to fill our exercise and diet obligations at all times.  Sometimes life does get in the way of our plans and we just need to accept that and move on.

Ok, I will admit that the diet aspect is another part that I don't follow to a tee.  As I first said, I have never really been overweight so I guess I have never really been ambitious about dieting in general.  But the way she breaks down what your diet should include has been very helpful.  I have always known the importance of trying to have a good breakfast but that is something that I just told myself that I don't have time for.  She has helped me to change this attitude so now I find that I can prepare my breakfast at home and just bring it with me in the morning to eat in my office.  It only slows me down a little bit in the morning, but I have noticed that my mornings are much more productive and I'm not quite as hungry as it gets closer to lunchtime.

I know that I won't be losing twelve pounds in two weeks, because as I mentioned I am not following the diet plan in her book as closely as I should.  But if I can lose a few pounds before I go to Mexico in a couple of weeks I will be a happy camper.  Besides losing a few pounds I am hoping to instill some good diet and exercise habits that I can use for the rest of my life.  Denise is a busy working mother just like I am and I'm hoping that I will be lucky enough to look half as good as she does ten years from now if I can keep following her program.  If you are looking to start a diet and exercise program that will help you see results without drastic changes in your lifestyle then I would suggest picking up this book today.

My Rating:  5/5

Disclosure:  I was provided this book from Hachette through the Good Reads website in exchange for an honest review.

Teaser Tuesday-March 9

Check out Teaser Tuesdays from Should Be Reading.  TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

Grab your current read.

Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

This week my teaser is from The Circle of Friends, Book V: Heather:
Mark remained in full control of their relationship, much to his own astonishment.  He doubted he could maintain a hold on such a feisty young lady forever, though.

pg. 97

Mailbox Monday-March 8

 

Thanks to Marcia of The Printed Page for hosting the Mailbox Monday Meme that has us list the books that we received last week. You can go to her blog to see what everyone else got last week or to play along.

I only received one book this week but it sounds like a good one to me!

 

The Life O'Reilly  by Brian Cohen

And I absolutely love this cover!  So what was in your mailbox this week?

Current Giveaways!!!

Here are some great giveaways that I wanted to share with you all:

Bookin' With Bingo is giving away Roses by Leila Meacham--Contest ends 3/8.

Historically Obsessed is giving away Impatient With Desire by Gabrielle Burton--Contest ends 3/8.

hist-fic chick is giving away Our Hart by Lloyd Lofthouse--Contest ends 3/14.

Reading Extravaganza is giving away Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah--Contest ends 3/18.

Peeking Between the Pages is giving away The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran--Contest ends 3/20.

A Sea of Books is giving away The Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano--Contest ends 3/20.

Library Girl Reads is having a March giveaway with a chance to win one of six books--Contest ends 3/24.

Find Your Next Book Here is giving away Empire Falls by Richard Russo--Contest ends 3/26.

Peeking Between the Pages is giving away Almost Home by Pam Jenoff--Contest ends 3/27.

Redlady's Reading Room is giving away The Local News by Miriam Gershow--Contest ends 3/29.

The Queen of Happy Endings is having a March giveaway--Contest ends 3/31.

Good luck everyone!

Audiobook Review: Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich

Here is a summary of Three to Get Deadly from Janet Evanovich's website:

Stephanie Plum, the brassy babe in the powder blue Buick, is back, and she's having a bad hair day - for the whole month of January.

She's been given the unpopular task of finding Mo Bedemeir, Trenton's most beloved citizen, arrested for carrying concealed, gone no-show for his court appearance.

And to make matters worse, she's got Lula, a former hooker turned file clerk--now a wannabe bounty hunter--at her side, sticking like glue. Lula's big and blonde and black, and itching to get the chance to lock up a crook in the trunk of her car.

Morelli, the New Jersey vice cop with the slow-burning smile that undermines a girl's strongest resolve is being polite. So what does that mean? Has he found a new love? Or is he manipulating Steph, using her in his police investigation, counting on her unmanageable curiosity and competitive Jersey attitude?

Once again, the entire One for the Money crew is in action, including Ranger and Grandma Mazur, searching for Mo, tripping down a trail littered with drug dealers, leading Stephanie to suspect Mo has traded his ice-cream scoop for a vigilante gun.

Cursed with a disastrous new hair color and an increasing sense that it's really time to get a new job, Stephanie spirals and tumbles through Three to Get Deadly with all the wisecracks and pace her fans have come to expect.

My Review:
I can't tell you how much I look forward to listening to these books in my car during my commutes.  A couple of things have become obvious to me.  One being that Joe Morelli and Stephanie are attracted to each other and should just give in to that fact, and the other being that Stephanie just shouldn't own a vehicle of any kind!

When Stephanie is given the assignment of tracking down Mo, the beloved owner of the local ice cream parlor, she ends up not being the most popular girl in the Berg.  All of her acquaintances think she is crazy to think that Mo could do anything that would be remotely wrong.  As we follow Stephanie along on her investigation, not only do we find out that he is breaking the law, but he actually has started a new business venture that is questionable in more ways than one.

Stephanie has her run of bad luck in this segment, from a hair color gone disastrously wrong, to her new vehicle being blown into smithereens!  As she keeps searching for Mo she learns that there are people out there trying to protect him that will do anything that is necessary.  But when her beloved hamster's life is on the line she decides to take a stand for herself and her pet.

This was a fun book to listen to, but I must admit that I seemed to get distracted from this one quite easily.  Maybe I just have too much going on in my life right now, but I found myself having to listen to certain parts over again.  It was once again a fun and enjoyable book to listen to and I do plan on continuing on with this series.

My Rating:  3/5

Disclosure:  I borrowed this audiobook from the library and listened to it for my own entertainment.

Book Club Chatter

Welcome to another week of Book Club Chatter where I hope to discuss all things book club on a weekly basis. I thought this would  be a fun way for each of us to share one little tidbit every week.



So here is my question for you this week:
Does your group typically select the titles from the same type of genre or do you mix it up a bit by choosing books that you wouldn't usually read?  If you do favor a specific genre, what type is it that you enjoy?


My Answer:
I have noticed that my group usually picks books that can be considered part of the 'women's fiction' genre.  This works out great for us since we all seem to enjoy reading this type of book.  We did decide a couple of years ago that we would like to try to add at least one book from some other genres, such as non-fiction, classics, and mysteries.  We do try to stay away from fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers.  It helps to keep all of us coming back for more knowing that we usually do enjoy the books that we read.

 There is not a deadline as to when you need to post or answer this question, so please feel free to join in at your convenience. You can either leave your answer in the comments below or post your answer on your blog and leave the link below.

Wondrous Words Wednesday-March 3

Bermudaonion asks you to share new words that you have learned during your reading adventures in the last week. Feel free to join in the fun!

Here are some new words that I learned this week while reading The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani:

Sigheh:  a Shiite tradition of temporary marriage permitted in Iran that allows a couple to specify the terms of their relationship; can last from a few minutes to 99 years; "sigeh legally wraps premarital sex in an Islamic cloak". (I think I should note that the spelling in the book was different than it was at Dictionary.com.

Here is how sigheh was used on page 117:
"I know that pilgrims to Qom may contract a sigheh for an hour or a night-but these are arrangements for pleasure."

Scimatar:  a curved, single-edged sword of Oriental origin.

Here is how scimatar was used on page 228:
I drew long, tapered leaves that looked like scimitars, which would cross the rug horizontally.

Lodestone:   (I decided to give you both definitions of lodestone.)
A variety of magnetite that possesses magnetic polarity and attracts iron.
A piece of this serving as a magnet.

Here is how lodestone was used on page 350:
"Look at that!" she sad, attracted to it as if it were a lodestone.

Vizier:  a high official in certain Muslim countries and caliphates, esp. a minister of state.

Here is how vizier was used on page 364:
When the shah demanded the vizier's only daughter in marriage, he refused to give her away.

So what kind of words did you learn this last week?

Audiobook Giveaway: Black Hills by Dan Simmons

Thanks to Anna from Hachette for offering to give away three Black Hills unabridged audiobooks here at Jo-Jo Loves to Read!!!

Here is a summary of the book from the Hachette website:

When Paha Sapa, a young Sioux warrior, "counts coup" on General George Armstrong Custer as Custer lies dying on the battlefield at the Little Bighorn, the legendary general's ghost enters him - and his voice will speak to him for the rest of his event-filled life.

Seamlessly weaving together the stories of Paha Sapa, Custer, and the American West, Dan Simmons depicts a tumultuous time in the history of both Native and white Americans. Haunted by Custer's ghost, and also by his ability to see into the memories and futures of legendary men like Sioux war-chief Crazy Horse, Paha Sapa's long life is driven by a dramatic vision he experienced as a boy in his people's sacred Black Hills. In August of 1936, a dynamite worker on the massive Mount Rushmore project, Paha Sapa plans to silence his ghost forever and reclaim his people's legacy-on the very day FDR comes to Mount Rushmore to dedicate the Jefferson face.

Now for the giveaway!

To enter this contest you must be at least 18 and live in the U.S. or Canada.  No PO Boxes please.

For one entry leave me a comment including your email address below.

For two additional entries, blog about this contest or add the link to your sidebar.

Please include your email so I will have a way to contact you if you win.

You will have until March 20th to enter and I will draw for winners on March 21st.

Winners of Black Hills!!!

 

And the three lucky winners of Black Hills by Dan Simmons are...

Carol M.

nfmgirl 

Lisanne624 

Congratulations to the winners!  I will be emailing you shortly to get your mailing information so the publisher can get your book sent out.  Thanks again to Valerie from Hachette for offering this contest on my blog!

Mailbox Monday-March 1

 

Thanks to Marcia of The Printed Page for hosting the Mailbox Monday Meme that has us list the books that we received last week. You can go to her blog to see what everyone else got last week or to play along.

So here is what was in my mailbox:

 

The Unnamed  by Joshua Ferris

The Quilter's Apprentice  by Jennifer Chiaverini

So what was in your mailbox last week?