Carol's Notebook – Page 662

Viva Cisco by Patrick Shannon

July 27, 2009July 27, 2009 by Carol3 Comments

Viva Cisco by Patrick Shannon "Viva Cisco" is a trilogy of funny stories for kids at the Age 10-13 reading level. All three tales unfold in a land called Topopootl, which lies in a hidden valley deep in the heart of Mexico. Because of its seclusion, the inhabitants have created a society without the benefit of human contact, and they don't seem to have missed out on anything important in the absence of that dubious blessing. In fact, they probably have more pure merriment and boisterous excitement than any human community could ever conceive. Much of the credit for that, though, must be laid at the feet of Topopootl's most..uh.. stimulating citizen, one Cisco las Verde Arara del Gucigalpa. Aka, Cisco the Parrot. My thoughts: Amber, 9, loved this book. Cicso's antics and adventures made her laugh and each time we stopped for the day, she would beg to read more. She wanted to know what was going to happen next. Of course, the...

Mailbox Monday

July 27, 2009 by Carol3 Comments

Thanks to Marcia at The Printed Page for hosting Mailbox Monday. I received two books this week from Anna at Hachette Book Group. Keep an eye out in August for their blog tours. Seduce Me by Robyn DeHart Fielding Grey is the second son of the Marquess of Eldon and fortune hunter by night. He's on a mission for the Legend Hunters--a group of wealthy, titled, and heart-breakingly gorgeous men, each of whom are after the find of the century--he has his eyes set on obtaining the illustrious Pandora's Box. But before he finds it, he encounters an equally alluring treasure--the woman bold enough to look inside. Esme Worthington can't resist taking the tiniest peek inside when fate drops the real Pandora's Box in her lap. Thus, she unleashes one of Pandora's irresistible curses: the curse of lust. Now, both Esme and Fielding must deal with this passionate curse--or blessing?--before unknown implications of Pandora's Box overpower them both. Dark Hunger by Rita Herron Reporter Annabelle Armstrong will...

Game Night- Small World

July 25, 2009July 25, 2009 by Carol2 Comments

Small World Designer: Philippe Keyaerts Manufacturer: Days of Wonder Year: 2009 Players: 2 - 5 Time: 40 - 80 minutes Ages: 8 and up Description: In Small World, players vie for conquest and control of a world that is simply too small to accommodate them all. Small World is inhabited by a zany cast of characters such as dwarves, wizards, amazons, giants, orcs and even humans; who use their troops to occupy territory and conquer adjacent lands in order to push the other races off the face of the earth. Picking the right combination from the 14 different fantasy races and 20 unique special powers, players rush to expand their empires -- often at the expense of weaker neighbors. Yet they must also know when to push their own over-extended civilization into decline and ride a new one to victory. Small World's design emphasizes the playful fantasy theme with rich details and components that beg to be played. My thoughts: One of our friends brought this over about two weeks...

Giveaways in Blogland

July 25, 2009July 24, 2009 by Carol3 Comments

I thought I’d let you know some of the giveaways I ran across this week. As always, my current giveaways are listed on my sidebar and make sure you check out West of Mars- Win a Book!, where there's always a ton of links to great contests, interviews and guest posts. The Sword, The Wolf, and The Master by Jean Johnson, at Bibliophiles 'R' Us (ends July 28, US only) Tamed by a Laird by Amanda Scott, at Bibliophiles 'R' Us (ends July 30, US and Canada only, no PO Boxes) Dial Emmy for Murder by Eileen Davidson, at Booking Mama (ends July 31, US and Canada only) Cutting Loose by Nadine Dajani, at A Reader's Respite (ends August 4, International) Graceling by Krisin Cashore, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, at Today's Adventure (ends August 8, International) The Lost Dog by Michelle deKretser, at Tutu's Two Cents (ends August 12, US and Canada only, no PO boxes) The Juror, The Caveman's...

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

July 24, 2009July 24, 2009 by Carol8 Comments

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith From the back cover: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem. As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton—and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she's soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty & arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers—and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield as Elizabeth wages war against hordes of flesh-eating undead. Can she vanquish the spawn of Satan? And overcome the social prejudices of the class-conscious landed gentry? Complete with romance, heartbreak, swordfights, cannibalism...

Winner! And More Winners!

July 24, 2009 by Carol3 Comments

Congratulations to the winners of The Woman Who Named God by Charlotte Gordon. Marie Tina Shawana Lewis Freda Mans Lisa Also, I've got a couple new winners for previous contests. The original winners already got their hands on copies. Congratulations to the winner of Off Season by Anne Rivers Siddons. Lee Congratulations to the winner of How to Score by Robin Wells. Miranda I will be e-mailing all of you soon. I'll just need your addresses to pass on to Hachette Book Group. Enjoy the books!...