No Strings Attached Giveaway Hop: win Fall of Night by Rachel Caine

For this blog hop I am giving away a hardcover copy of:

Fall of Night by Rachel Caine
Series: Morganville Vampires #14
Published: May 7, 2013
Publisher: New American Library
Pages: 341
Genre: Fantasy
Audience: Young Adult
Disclosure: Book provided by publisher

Goodreads summary:
Claire never thought she’d leave Morganville, but when she gets accepted into the graduate program at MIT, she can’t pass up the opportunity. Saying good-bye to her friends is bittersweet, especially since things are still raw and unsettled between Claire and her boyfriend, Shane.

Her new life at MIT is scary and exciting, but Morganville is never really far from Claire’s mind. Enrolled in a special advanced study program with Professor Irene Anderson, a former Morganville native, Claire is able to work on her machine, which is designed to cancel the mental abilities of vampires.

But when she begins testing her machine on live subjects, things quickly spiral out of control, and Claire starts to wonder whether leaving Morganville was the last mistake she’ll ever make...

Giveaway terms and conditions:
Must be 13 or older to enter and have a U.S. mailing address.
One winner will be chosen. 
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It's Monday! What are you reading? 5-20-13

 

Originally hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, Jen and Kellee  over at Teach Mentor Texts also host a kidlit version of It's Monday! What are You Reading?

I feel very accomplished because last week I finished two novel-length books:

The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner
I really liked this story, I just wanted to know the characters more. I felt like the novel ended just as I was getting to know them.

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley
I adored everything about this foodie graphic memoir. I will be writing a longer review of this one very soon!


Picture books I read and enjoyed last week:
 
Because You Are My Teacher by Sherry North, illustrated by Marcellus Hall
A beautiful extended metaphor for what all classrooms should be: a vessel for inquiry and exploration. 


Gandhi: The March to the Sea by Alice B. McGinty, illustrated by  Thomas Gonzalez
A great supplemental text to use when studying about the Salt March. This book is way more interesting than a dry, voiceless social studies textbook. 


Last week I reviewed:

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr


The Frank Show by David Mackintosh



The Chew: Food. Life. Fun


Currently reading:

The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr
 

Currently (still) listening:
 
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell   
Until I Die by Amy Plum   

The Frank Show by David Mackintosh

What's a boy to do when you have to "show and tell" a member of your family at school and the only person available is your cantankerous old Grandpa Frank?

In The Frank Show, our young, unnamed narrator has a dilemma. He hears about all the cool, interesting family members his classmates are bringing in for show-and-tell, but all he can think about when having to talk about his grandpa is his mile-long list of complaints about the younger generation. This show-and-tell is bound to be a disaster... or is it?

The Frank Show is a wonderful book for kids and teens alike that is full of humor while also tugging on your heartstrings. Everyone has members of their family whom they often say, "It's just grandpa" or "It's just mom" and fail to appreciate all of the wonderful pieces of them that have been overlooked by their singular view of that person. What David Mackintosh has set out to accomplish in this story is to help kids see past their myopic view of their family members and dig deeper into who they are as people, not just as mom, dad, or grandpa.

This could be a fantastic mentor text to use when discussing perspective. There are also some really great snatches of text to discuss in finding ways to effectively inject humor into a piece of writing. I particularly love the rhythm and flow of this passage, which, in turn, results in a great comedic turn of phrase:

Kristian's dad is a comedian on TV who makes everyone laugh. Paolo's mom is Italian and knows all about Italian and can speak Italian. Fay's cousin tells you if your bag's too heavy at the airport. Donny's dad works in a potato chip factory. Saul's aunt swam the English channel. Hugo's stepbrother has a sports car with an eight-ball gearshift knob.

My grandpa's arm hurts when it's about to rain.

The Frank Show by David Mackintosh
Published: August 1, 2012
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Pages: 32
Genre: Picture Book
Audience: Primary/Middle Grade
Disclosure: Library Copy

Cookbook Review: The Chew: Food. Life. Fun.

When The Chew premiered on ABC a year and a half ago, it quickly became my favorite food-centric show. I loved the chemistry of the five hosts and have always adored the idea of a talk show revolving solely around food. Before The Chew premiered, Rachael Ray was my favorite food-related talk show, and though I still love Rachael (yes, I know this is a blasphemous statement for foodies, but I don't care), I am slowly tiring of her.

This cookbook features some of the best recipes from the first season of The Chew, but it also includes interviews with all the hosts: Michael Symon, Daphne Oz, Clinton Kelly, Carla Hall, and Mario Batali.  While I wouldn't buy this book solely for the recipes since they are after all online, I would buy it for the interviews, and even then, I'd be more likely just to check it out from the library (which is what I did).

My favorite section of the cookbook was Clinton Kelly's entertaining tips, not because of their creativity and practicality, but the sheer humor of his suggestion that party hosts put marbles in their medicine cabinet to hear who's the first person to go snooping around your bathroom when they all crash to their floor as the cabinet door is opened.

The recipes in this book are organized seasonally, and while I haven't tried any of them yet, I am particularly excited to try Michael Symon's spaghetti squash fritters in the fall.

If you're a fan of The Chew, not much new is revealed in this book, though the interviews are enjoyable to read. If you've never watched The Chew before, the book is put together in quite an attractive, easy-to-read format and thus the recipes might motivate you to give the show a go.

The Chew: Food. Life. Fun, edited by Peter Kaminsky and Ashley Archer
Published: September 25, 2012
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 231
Genre: Cooking/Lifestyle
Audience: Adults
Disclosure: Library Copy

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

In the rock-paper-scissors of life, love is rock.

As if Jill MacSweeney's life isn't complicated enough dealing with her grief from the unexpected death of her father, now her fifty-something mother wants to adopt a baby to fill the void left in her heart by her deceased husband. Jill's mom Robin decides to take the open adoption route and soon 18-year-old Mandy Kalinowski from Omaha, Nebraska is staying with them, ready to give up her baby to Robin in just a few weeks. Jill is less than thrilled, and she does very little to hide her disdain from her mother or from Mandy.

Told in alternating points-of-view between Jill and Mandy, readers find out very quickly that there is a great deal to dislike about both girls: Jill's iciness and tactlessness, and Mandy's frequent and numerous lies.

As the story progresses however, and the girls' stories begin to intertwine, both become more empathetic to the reader.

This is one of those books you end up liking more than you think you will. When I first started listening to the audio, I wasn't sure what to expect, but by the end, I found myself shedding some tears. Sara Zarr subtly and seamlessly finds a way to make you eke out a place in your heart for these characters you were certain you would continue to dislike throughout the entire novel.


How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr
Published: October 18, 2011
Publisher: Little, Brown
Pages: 347
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Audience: Young Adult
Disclosure: Library Copy

It's Monday! What are you reading? 5-13-13

 

Originally hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, Jen and Kellee  over at Teach Mentor Texts also host a kidlit version of It's Monday! What are You Reading?

I only read one picture book last week and it was:

Tyler Makes Pancakes by Tyler Florence, illustrated by Craig Frazier


Last week I finished listening: 

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr 
Review to come tomorrow.


Last week I reviewed:

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz 


Currently reading: 

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley


Currently listening:
 
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell 


Other posts from last week:
Recap of A.S. King event in Ann Arbor
I have been quoted!
On my other blog, Use Your Outside Voice: A Beautiful Noise 

I have been quoted!

On Friday Lenore Appelhans, author of Level 2 now renamed The Memory of After, sent me an email with this picture in it:

What's that you ask? Well, that is the inside of the book jacket for the Taiwanese version of Level 2, and in it, I have been quoted! I'm the third from the bottom.

I have no idea what that says because I don't read Taiwanese, but the fact that I have been quoted in an actual book - a book that I absolutely love and adore, just blows me away. Is that something I can put on my resume? "Blurbed in the Taiwanese version of Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans." I like it. It has a nice ring to it. :)