Winner!

by Carol2 Comments
Congratulations to the winner of a signed copy of Write the Right Words by Sandra E. Lamb. Kim V at Metroreader I hope you find it as helpful as I do. I'll be sending you an e-mail later today. That just seems wrong somehow given that the book is all about actually writing physical notes, but I need your address to pass on to the publicist. Thanks!...
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Mommy Grace by Dr. Shelia Schuller Coleman

by Carol1 Comment
Mommy Grace by Dr. Shelia Schuller Coleman The book is based on the premise that all mom's tend to feel mommy guilt over not being the perfect mother. Sometimes we yell, sometimes we stop for fast food because there's absolutely nothing in the cupboards at home, sometimes we make hollow threats, and sometimes we even want a break. To be honest, I don't feel guilty about any of those things and never have. I'm not big on guilt. You do the best you can in life, apologizing and making corrections along the way when you need to. So, why was I reading this book? I love the cover, those two open hands layered with paint captured me, reminded me of my own daughter. I do feel I got something out of Coleman's honest and occasionally touching accounts of her own and others' experiences, screw-ups and all. I found instances I could relate to as I'm sure every mother will. Each of the chapters...
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Heat Wave by Richard Castle

by Carol9 Comments
Heat Wave by Richard Castle I enjoyed this book, but then again I've enjoyed the few episodes of Castle I've seen. The "author" is actually a character on that show and the book is pretty much just a reflection of the show, which makes sense. It's the book the character writes based on his time spent with the NYPD. It's a great little mystery. A New York real estate tycoon plunges to his death on a Manhattan sidewalk and homicide detective Nikki Heat is determined to solve the case. Unfortunately, thanks to the commissioner, she is stuck with journalist Jameson Rook, who is riding along with her as research for an article he's working on. He's arrogant and meddling and refuses to do what she tells him, like stay out of the road. Nevertheless, as suspects come up with alibis and the body count rises, Heat sifts through the clues, showing police work is far from glamorous. I of course didn't figure out...
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Words Are Magic

by Carol7 Comments
Language and magic. Where is the connection? Think about it this way: when we form letters to write words, we create something out of nothing, so that the still air or the empty space on a page fills with meaning, as if a wizard created a blizzard from a clear blue sky. (pg. 15, The Glamour of Grammar by Roy Peter Clark) I finally got to start this one, and I love the way Clark talks about language, and spelling and punctuation. It's not dry rules; it's exciting, liberating, fun. By the way, my giveaway for this one is still open. You can enter here if you're in the US or Canada. Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Play along. The rules are easy and I only cheated a little. Grab your current read, open to a random page, and give us two teaser sentences. ...
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Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Family Favorites by Beth Hensperger

by Carol7 Comments
Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Family Favorites by Beth Hensperger I love the idea of slow cookers. Put in the ingredients, it cooks while you're at work or doing chores or whatever and then "ta-da" - a delicious meal. It's great for game night pulled pork sandwiches and Italian sausage for parties. Lately though, this hot, humid summer, it's been perfect to turn to because it quite simply heats the kitchen up way less than the stove or oven, and with no air conditioning it's hard enough to keep the house bearable. This cookbook is chock-full of delicious sounding recipes, from standard pot roasts, stews and chilis to more unusual fare, like Chinese Apricot Pork Roast with Buckwheat Soba Noodle Salad and an eggplant parmesan. We've tried a few of the recipes and so far we've been pleased. I do wish there were photos with the recipes or nutritional information. The first thing I tried was the oatmeal with cranberries and apple. I...
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