Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

by Carol3 Comments
Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller "I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn't resolve. . . . I used to not like God because God didn't resolve. But that was before any of this happened." In Donald Miller's early years, he was vaguely familiar with a distant God. But when he came to know Jesus Christ, he pursued the Christian life with great zeal. Within a few years he had a successful ministry that ultimately left him feeling empty, burned out, and, once again, far away from God. In this intimate, soul-searching account, Miller describes his remarkable journey back to a culturally relevant, infinitely loving God. My thoughts: This is like a meadering memoir of Miller's spiritual journey. He makes some good, although by no means unique points. We need to be able to accept God's love for us and we, in turn, need to love everyone, Republican or Democrat,  poor or rich, straight or gay. Miller...
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Teaser Tuesday

by Carol12 Comments
Grab your current read. Let the book fall open to a random page. Share with us two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12. 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. Please avoid spoilers! My teaser: "But you need some evidence of an abduction or threat of physical harm. Do you have any?" -pg. 185,  Hold Tight by Harlan Coben Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Play along....
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Please, Malese! by Amy MacDonald

by Carol1 Comment
Please, Malese! A Trickster Tale from Haiti by Amy MacDonald, pictures by Emily Lisker "My toes are suffering," says Malese as he stretches out in his hammock. "They need new shoes, that's what they need." Malese has not a penny to his name and nothing to trade, but does he worry? Not at all. His pockets may be empty, but his mind is full of clever ideas. It isn't long before he's thought up a trick to get himself some fine new shoes. From marketplace to mountainside, Malese outsmarts his neighbors with trick after trick, until they've had enough and are determined, for once, to get the best of him. Readers will giggle when they see who gets the best of whom in this fresh and funny trickster tale, illustrated with art that explodes with the brilliant colors of Haiti. My thoughts: This book is just pure fun. The pictures are gorgeous, simply drawn but full of vibrant colors. Malese tricks his neighbors into giving him...
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Mailbox Monday

by Carol5 Comments
Thanks to Marcia at The Printed Page for hosting Mailbox Monday. I got two in the mail this week, and I picked up a few at the bookstore. Our Waldenbooks is closing and all the books are at least 40% off. Of course, that's the only bookstore we have in town that sells new books, so it's pretty sad that we're losing it. We have a used bookstore downtown, but it just opened a couple of weeks ago and I haven't made it down yet. The Italian's Inexperienced Mistress by Lynne Graham When Angelo Riccardi sought revenge Gwenna Hamilton added another, delicious dimension. Innocent and pretty, she had no chance when the Italian tycoon offered her the devil's bargain: pay for her father's freedom with her body. In her naiveté, Gwenna thought that Angelo would tire of her and her innocence very quickly. But he had more in mind than just one night…   Wally the Walking Fish: Meets Madison and Cooper by Gary Lamit When...
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Giveaways in Blogland

by CarolNo 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 Devil's Queen by Jeanne Kalogridis, at Books 'n Border Collies (ends August 14, International) The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer, at S. Krishna's Books (ends August 16, US) Undiscovered Gyrl by Allison Burnett, at Pop Culture Junkie (ends August 19, US) The Glamorous (Double) Life of Isabel Bookbinder by Holly McQueen, The Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano, That Went Well by Terrell Harris Dougan, and Random Acts of Heroic Love by Danny Scheinmann, at At Home with Books (ends August 27, US and Canada) The Spies of Warsaw by Alan Furst, at Wendy's Minding Spot (ends August 17, US) Pope Joan byDonna Woolfolk Cross, at The Tome Traveler (ends August 19,...
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