BooK WiNNeRS & SoMe NeW FiNDS!

Congrats to these three winners! You will receive a copy of Pocket Doodles for you your darling children!

Of Cheerios & Conference Calls

Kirsten at JustYourNormalAverageMom

DoubletheBlessings

So ladies, email me your addresses and we'll get you a copy of Pocket Doodles!

For the copies of After You, I had author Julie Buxbaum give me two random numbers and these are the two who won:

Sarah Pekkanen. Now ironically enough, Sarah is a debut author who will have her first book published in March of 2010. Her novel is called The Opposite of Me, which is so interesting cuz Julie Buxbaum's debut novel was The Opposite of Love. I think that's very karma-isque that Sarah won After You, and I now have a new author to look forward to! (Sarah, call me, let's chat!)

And the second winner is: Deb from Deb's Desk. And another cool thing is Deb is doing her FIRST book giveaway on her blog (how is this for amazing karma folks!), and you can head over there to enter to win Cleopatra's Daughter. And here we have come absolutely FULL CIRLCE because the book The Opposite of Me, and Cleopatra's Daughter both have twins in the story. Too weird! But too cool! So, although you may not have won any of the books I've just given away, you can win over at Deb's Desk and also you may have found a new author in Sarah Pekkanen. I can't wait to read these new books and I would have never found out about them had I not held this book giveaway!

Winners, please send your addresses to me at manicmommy@comcast.net and I will be sure to get your books to you! Congrats!

And, just in case you missed it last week, here is a repeat of a post where I share some recent great reads!

Enjoy!



I love sharing new reads with you all and recently had the chance to read The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf, which is a fast-paced suspenseful book. The book starts out with a mute 7-year-old and an alcoholic abusive father and the mystery erupts. Calie and her friend Petra unexpectedly disappear in the early morning and there’s no logical reason for their disappearance. Author Gudenkauf takes the reader on a surprising trip through the minds of most of the characters in this book. In each chapter, the story unfolds with the telling of the circumstances of the disappearance of the girls through different characters. From the father of Petra, Callie’s mom, her brother, and even a second-string deputy character, you’ll not want to put the book down till you find out what has happened to Calie and her friend. Written in a way that you NEED to turn the page, this book is part mystery, part suspense, part love story, and all adrenaline inducing!



His Other Lover by Lucy Dawson arrived unexpectedly on my doorstep and man, I plowed through this one! It’s the story of Mia, who discovers a text on her live-in boyfriend’s cell phone that causes her to believe he’s been unfaithful. Rather than confront Pete, Mia turns the tables and becomes the Glenn Close of the love triangle, doing everything in her power to break up the suspected affair. The reader won’t believe the lengths Mia goes to in order to confirm the affair and stop it – she’s absolutely brilliant, and I could see myself doing the same devious things if Mr. Manic was being unfaithful, but of course, that would never happen – he barely knows how to text! This book has a satisfying ending and asks the question of who was more at fault – the man who cheated, or the woman who cheated, lied, stole, deceived in order to keep her man? But does she keep him in the end? Well, that’s for me to know and YOU to find out!


What I Thought I Knew – Alice Eve Cohen
A 44-year-old woman is diagnosed with a stomach tumor only to discover she is pregnant after a lifetime of infertility. This memoir is a fascinating example of how the medical industry can screw up a person's life by a misdiagnosis. When Alice finally comes out of the shock of discovering she's six months pregnant, she then has very difficult choices to make - whether or not to abort her child, whether she should give the baby up for adoption. This book has so many Oh-My-God moments, I seriously could not put it down and flew through the book. And it was well worth it for the happy ending!


Rage Against the Meshugenah
What a great book written by a MAN! Not that a man can’t write a book, but I do know their focus isn’t what a woman’s is! Anyway, Rage is about Danny Evan’s downward spiral into depression after he is hit with becoming a father, losing his job and 9/11. Read how Danny first deals with his depression through alcohol and porn (sounds like an answer to me!), then goes through therapy to face his demons. A new daughter on the way brings him out of his longtime depression and he realizes his place in the world. This one will make you feel good and be thankful for what you have!

What are some good books you've read lately?