Back to Books Hop and Giveaway

Welcome to the Back to Books Hop and Giveaway hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Buried in Books. This hop is scheduled to run August 1st to 7th.  There are 300 blogs signed up and all hosting a giveaway.  


I am giving away Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda.  This is another book that is getting great reviews this summer.  I absolutely LOVE the cover.  I am picturing the porch over looking water (the ocean in my mind)!  I love hydrangeas so I was so thrilled to see them on the cover.  I also love the bare feet!  My favorite pictures of my kids are during the summer and bare foot!

Paperback:  312 pages
Publisher:  Greenleaf Book Group, LLC
Rating:  Great Read!


Synopsis:  Kelly Mills Johnson becomes restless in her thirty-ninth year. An appetite for more forces her to take stock of her middling middle-American existence and her neighbors' seemingly perfect lives. Her marriage to a successful attorney has settled into a comfortable routine, and being the mother of two adorable sons has been rewarding. But Kelly's own passions lie wasted. She eyes with envy the lives of her two best friends, Kathryn and Charlotte, both beautiful, successful businesswomen who seem to have it all. Kelly takes charge of her life, devising a midlife makeover plan.

From page one, Kelly's witty reflections, self-deprecating humor, and clever tactics in executing that plan—she places Post-it notes all over her house and car—will have readers laughing out loud. The next instant, however, they might rant right along with Kelly as her commitment to a sullen, anorexic teenager left on her doorstep tries her patience or as she deflects the boozy advances of a divorced neighbor. Readers will need to keep the tissue box handy, too, as Kelly repairs the damage she inflicted on a high school friend; realizes how deeply her husband, Patrick, understands and loves her; and ultimately grows into a woman empowered by her own blend of home and career.

Here, Home, Hope will surely appeal to readers of chick lit and other women's fiction titles who are ready to transition into something new in their own life.

From BN.com

My Review:  This is a perfect summer read (while, really any time!).  It is a very easy read and pulls you in right from the start.  I would agree that this is a chick lit book and I love the twists with the characters.  The book tackles some very real and very tough issues; divorce, lay off of employment, death of a spouse, adultery, anorexia and mid-life crisis.  Amazingly, all these topics are part of the book but does not seem like as you are reading it.  The book moves along so easily and the characters are very believable.


To win this book, all you have to do is one of the following (please don't do both)....AFTER you become a follower (mandatory to be a follower either GFC or email):

• Complete the form below (my favorite and always so easy!)
• Leave a comment (with your email address)

Remember you must be a follower to win.

Call Me Irresistible - TLC Book Tours

Paperback: 385 pages

Publisher: Harper-Collins Publishers

Rating: Good/Great Read

Synopsis:  R.S.V.P. to the most riotous wedding of the year!  Lucy Jorik’s the daughter of a former U.S. president.  Meg Koranda’s the offspring of legends.

One of them is about to marry Mr. Irresistible—Ted Beaudine—the favorite son of Wynette, Texas. The other is determined to save her friend from a mess of heartache.

Meg knows breaking up her best friend’s wedding is the right thing to do, but no one else agrees. Faster than Lucy can say “I don’t,” Meg’s the most hated woman in town—and stuck there with a dead car, an empty wallet, and a very angry bridegroom. Broke, stranded, without her famous parents watching her back, Meg believes she can survive by her own wits. After all, what’s the worst that can happen? She’ll lose her heart to Mr. Irresistible?

Not likely. Not likely at all.

From BN.com

Why I wanted to read it:  After reading the synopsis, I thought it was 100% chick lit!

My Rating: 3 out of 5, a good read.

Book Cover Rating: 3 out of 5.  I can picture this being Meg, no doubt! However, I am surprised there isn't a picture of Ted.....he is Mr. Irresistible.

Length of Chapters: 3 out of 5. The chapters in Call Me Irresistible were on the longer side for my taste, but there were stops/breaks throughout the chapters.  That works for me as well.  As I have said before, I need to be able to pick up and put down the book as I don't have any "block" of time to read. I have to read whenever and wherever I can in 3 - 5 minute increments. 

My Review:  I liked the book.  I could picture the characters, small town in Texas, the mess Meg gets herself into.  In trying not to spoil the book for anyone, events in the book happen pretty fast, in my opinion.  Call Me Irresistible has a lot of humor, not so much "girlie drama," (Meg is pretty tough) and "smut."  This combination makes it 100% chick lit!

This is my first Susan Elizabeth Phillips book, but it will not be last.  She has the Wynette Texas Books (Call Me Irresistible is in this series), Chicago Stars Books and a ton of stand-alone books.  I am going to go check out It Had to Be You from the Chicago Star series.  Looks fantastic and perfect for fall (Female NY knockout inherits a Chicago football team)!

Author:  Susan Elizabeth Phillips is one of our biggest women’s fiction stars soaring onto the New York Times bestseller list with Dream a Little Dream. She’s the only four-time recipient of Romance Writer’s of America’s prestigious Favorite Book of the Year Award. Susan delights fans by touching hearts as well as funny bones with her wonderfully whimsical and modern fairy tales. A resident of the Chicago suburbs, she is also a wife and mother of two grown sons.

Visit Susan at her website, susanelizabethphillips.com, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

This is a TLC Book Tour and I encourage you to check out the other reviews:

Tuesday, August 30th: As I turn the pages
Wednesday, August 31st: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
Tuesday, September 6th: Luxury Reading
Wednesday, September 7th: StephTheBookworm
Thursday, September 8th: Colloqium
Tuesday, September 12th: Laura’s Reviews
Tuesday, September 13th: Life In Review
Wednesday, September 14th: Tina’s Book Reviews
Thursday, September 15th: Peeking Between the Pages
Friday, September 16th: Books Like Breathing

Winner of The Orphan Sister!

Winner of The Orphan Sister - #59 STaraschi!

Since the entry form asked for you address, the book has already been mailed out, with some extra surprises from the author herself (thanks Gwendolen)!

Thanks to everyone who participate in these two giveaway. More to come this week! Another great blog hop coming soon!  Also, September will be focused on Young Adult/Children's books in honor of Back to School month!  I for one, am so happy school is back in!

The Orphan Sister Review + Giveaway!

Synopsis:  Clementine Lord is not an orphan. She just feels like one sometimes. One of triplets, a quirk of nature left her the odd one out. Odette and Olivia are identical; Clementine is a singleton. Biologically speaking, she came from her own egg. Practically speaking, she never quite left it. Then Clementine’s father—a pediatric neurologist who is an expert on children’s brains, but clueless when it comes to his own daughters—disappears, and his choices, both past and present, force the family dynamics to change at last. As the three sisters struggle to make sense of it, their mother must emerge from the greenhouse and leave the flowers that have long been the focus of her warmth and nurturing.

For Clementine, the next step means retracing the winding route that led her to this very moment: to understand her father’s betrayal, the tragedy of her first lost love, her family’s divisions, and her best friend Eli’s sudden romantic interest. Most of all, she may finally have found the voice with which to share the inside story of being the odd sister out. . . .

Why I wanted to read it:  I have been hearing such good things about The Orphan Sister.....and now I know why!

My Rating: 4.8 out of 5, a must read.

Book Cover Rating: 4.5 out of 5.  I love the red shoes and bare feet.

Length of Chapters: 4.5 out of 5. I love very short chapters (like 1.5 to 2 pages per chapter). For some reason I can read a book faster with shorter chapters.  The chapters in The Orphan Sister were longer than 2 pages, but still short enough to be able to quickly read a chapter while multitasking a busy life.

My Review: Let me just say that I loved it so much that I already purchased one of her other books (via e-books), The Other Mother!  This book pulls you right in with a family drama right on page 1! From there on, I just had to keep reading and turning pages.  In the beginning of the book, I was a little miffed at Clementine and her mother. It seemed they either didn't want to deal with "issues" or were naive or something. Boy was I wrong....you obtain an understanding while the story unfolds (especially Clementine) and of course, it all comes together.

Gwendolen Gross has an amazing talent to tell a story with characters you can't forget and want to know more about them and their lives.  She writes is so beautifully. I really enjoyed that a good part of the story took place at Oberlin....loved the Ohio references.  Having twins, I loved reading about the triplets and the dymanics of their lives. 


I was thrilled when I found out that her other two books, Field Guide and Getting Out will be available in e-books August 26th.  Get in line behind me as I will be the first to purchase them!  I have to read more of Gwendolen's books.  Another fun fact about Gwendolen.....she loves to knit and so do I!  

Connect: Check out Gwendolen Gross on Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, and on her website.

Giveaway: I am giving away one copy of The Orphan Sister.  Contest ends August 19, 2011 at 11:59 PM EST. Requirements to win....
Become a follower of Seaside Book Nook
Complete the easy form below OR leave a comment with your email address.

Good luck and thanks for blogging by!

Book Blogger Hop - Crazy Book Titles

The Book Blogger Hop (hosted by crazy-for-books) is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word!


Let’s talk crazy book titles! Highlight one or two (or as many as you like!) titles in your personal collection that have the most interesting titles! If you can’t find any, feel free to find one on the internet!”


This is an easy on for me.  I have a book on my shelf that makes me laugh every time I see it.


1. Balance is a Crock, Sleep is for the Weak:  An Indispensable Guide to Surviving Working Motherhood.

Wickedly funny, girlfriend-to-girlfriend survival guide for working mothers who want real answers, not mommy manifestos or sappy crap on finding "balance" 

Most books for working mothers are earnest, serious guides with some useful information, but lack the snark and practicality that today's overworked moms relate to. Marketing veterans Amy Eschliman and Leigh Oshirak know firsthand what a struggle it can be to hold down a stressful job while raising a family-and that sometimes the only way to preserve your sanity is with laughter. A survival guide for the rest of us, Balance is a Crock, Sleep is for the Weak is filled with bitterly funny topics like:

• Congratulations. Now, where do I slot "baby" in Outlook?
• Maternity Leave: Vacation or Hell?
• The Breastaurant is Open for Business: The pump and grind of nursing after you return to work.
• You Are Not Your Husband's Mother! and other time-sucking obligations.
• And more day-to-day advice for surviving the working-mommy trenches

Balance is a Crock, Sleep is for the Weak is the indispensable "what to expect when you're expected back at work" guide for working mothers or any woman considering returning to work after baby.


Do you have a book with a cray title, that makes you laugh?  I would love it if you shared it with us all!

Winners!!

Winner of 32 Candles - #22 Angie P

Winner of the Girl in the Garden - #139 Jessica at Peace, Love and Books!

Jessica did you know that my scrapbook/crafting blog is Peace, Love and Scrapbooking!  I absolutely adore your blog title.  You all should check out her blog - I loved it! 

For all those that left me your blog address, I will be visiting you all and become a follower.  I haven't had any time - work has been a little crazy and late nights this past week or so. 

Winners, don't forget to check your spam for an email from me.  Please reply within 48 hours or I have to pick another winner and I hate doing that!

Thanks to everyone who participate in these two giveaway.  More to come this week!  Another great book giveaway.

In Her Wake - TLC Book Tour

In Her Wake: A Child Psychiatrist Explorers the Mystery of Her Mother's Suicide by Nancy Rappaport.

Synopsis:  "A delivery announcement on elegant paper stamped with the date of a daughters birth; a tarnished silver baby cup, dented at the rim; a lovingly hand-knitted sweater; a school committee flier; hurried grocery lists. This is all Nancy Rappaport had left to remember her mother, a woman defined by her absence.

In 1963, Nancy Rappaport’s mother died by suicide after a bitter public divorce and custody battle. Nancy was just four years old and the youngest of six children. Growing up in a blended family of eleven children after her father remarried, Nancy was bewildered about why her mother took her own life and left her behind.

Years later, encouraged by her own childrens’ curiosity about their grandmother, and fortified by her training as a child psychiatrist, Nancy began investigating her mother’s life and the mysteries surrounding her death.

Pursuing clues and following leads, Rappaport pieces together a complex mosaic of her mother. Drawing on court depositions, newspaper coverage, her mother’s unpublished novel, and interviews with family and friends, she uncovers the story of a conflicted and troubled activist, socialite, and community leader. She scrutinizes deep family secrets about a woman she only remembers in snapshots.

In Her Wake is a rare thing: the story of a psychiatrist analyzing her own psychological drama. Nancy Rappaport was just four years old when her mother--a prominent Boston activist and socialite--committed suicide. Decades later, Rappaport, a child psychiatrist with three children of her own, pieced together a complex mosaic of her "mama." In Her Wake sheds light on the nature of hurting and healing, and is a potent reminder that love outlasts death."

My Review:  Bravo Rappaport for tackling such a difficult subject and taking us through your journey.  It seems lately I have been reading a lot of memoirs and discovering it is genre I enjoy.  Rappaport does a great job blending her own discovery of dealing with her mother's suicide and educating the reader on depression.  I would have loved to have learned more about her mother as I am fascinated with the time period and high-society.  This book provides a great understanding of depression, which is a very real and very common disease.  It also walks through the different stages of grief for those suffering a loss of a loved one.   I found this book to be very insightful.  Good read!
I love the cover of the book too!  I often wish I grew up in the 50/60's. I love that time period. Yes, I love Mad Men!

I am honored to be part of the TLC Books Tour.  For more reviews of the book please click here.  To learn more about the author, Nancy Rappaport, please visit her site.

I received In Her Wake by Nancy Rappaport from TLC Book Tours to be a part of this tour and offer my honest review of the book. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.