Carol's Notebook

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: "Were your father and your brother-in-law involved in any business together?" So sue me; I was looking for a scapegoat. -pg. 90, A Night at the Operation by Jeffrey Cohen Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Play along....

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about sticking with it… How much time (or how many pages) do you give a book that you aren't really enjoying before you'll set it aside? If you're reading it for a book group discussion, or for review, will you give it more of a chance than, say, a book you're reading for your own interest? Why, or why not? (courtesy of MizB) It's rare that I don't finish a book I've started. I think it's happened twice in the last three years. In general, I will plow through, either hoping it will get better or just to finish it and move on. I tend to find something redeeming to most books, though, something that makes it worth reading for me. I know there are millions of books out there waiting to be read, but I also know I'm never going to get to them all. Who knows when a surprise twist in the last chapter will...

Thanks to Marcia at The Printed Page for hosting Mailbox Monday.  I love coming home after work and finding a package waiting for me. Amber was happy this week, too, because one is perfect for her to read this summer.   Viva Cisco by Patrick Shannon Viva Cisco is a trilogy of funny stories for kids. 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. The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly (audiobook) Forced out of...

Congratulations! You won Do-Over! by Robin Hemley. Marie Kelly Icedream wendy wallach Becca I'll be e-mailing you today or tomorrow. If you could just send me your mailing address, I'll pass it on to Hachette Book Group. I hope you enjoy the book....

I thought I'd let you know some of the giveaways I ran across this week. If you have one you want added to next week's list, let me know in the comments. As always, my current giveaways are listed on my sidebar. Books Ravens by George Dawes Green, at Bermudaonion (ends June 3, US and Canada) First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria by Eve Brown-Waite, at A Reader's Respite (ends June 12, international) Mating Rituals of the North American WASP by Lauren Lipton, at Booking Mama (ends June 10, US and Canada) Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Carey, at Chic Book Chick (ends June 3, US and Canada, no PO boxes) Mating Rituals of the North American WASP by Lauren Lipton, at Diary of an Eccentric (ends June 3, US and Canada, no PO boxes) Bound to Please by Lilli Feisty, at Drey's Library (ends June 5, US and Canada, no PO boxes) Four short story collections at Fantasy & Sci-Fi Lovin' News & Reviews (ends June 12, international) Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by...