My love for all things Klutz is well-known. From Cat’s Cradle to friendship bracelets to Window Art to Immaturity I’ve not encountered a Klutz book I don’t adore. And educational Klutz? Even better!
I am widely known as “not-a-science-person.” I am also a “doesn’t-want-to-pass-my-hangups-onto-my-kids-person.” When my kids were young we did lots of science-related activities in which I feigned great enthusiasm and they apparently bought my act—thus far two of my progeny have majored in Chemistry and Wildlife Biology respectively. Maybe if I’d had this book I’d have an astronomer, too.
Just in time for spring (it is finally spring, right? Some days I’m not sure) . . .
Klutz is letting me give away three (3) books (shipped to addresses in the U.S. or Canada), plus they gave me my own copy. They’re very nice people!
To enter to win just leave me a comment and let me know what hang up you tried not to pass onto your kids, or what Klutz book you love, or who you want to give this book to. So basically, leave a comment. I’ll pick winners randomly and announce them next Tuesday.
Good luck!
My love for the written word is well-documented in this space. I lean heavily toward literary fiction and memoir, but I never say no to compelling non-fiction and there’s a little piece of my reader’s heart that belongs to young adult novels. During Green Girl’s visit, both she and Deb talked about The Hunger Games. I read a chapter from the middle of the book aloud one day when I was subbing—it seemed interesting enough, but I was still a bit skeptical because I am generally not drawn to fiction set in dystopias (which is odd, because depressing never bothers me).
On a whim last week I picked up a copy of the book. Two nights later I snagged the second of the series, Catching Fire. You know you’ve found something that resonates with you when you just can’t wait for the next installment.
Author Suzanne Collins skillfully riffs on what’s happening in popular culture and politics today to create a futuristic society where power is concentrated in the hands of the “Capitol” and children are pitted against one another in a game that is fought to the death and designed to both quell dissent and build a distorted patriotism.
The game itself is “Survivor” on steroids—though “playing” is compulsory and there is no fun to be had for any of the participants. The inhabitants of the “Capitol” are living out the decline of the Roman Empire in living color with modern day conveniences and vices.
The main character is Katniss, a strong, independent teen who supports her mother and sister with cunning and bravery—in short, a nice change, from the gossip girls that tend to populate many young adult novels these days. The main relationships in the book are well-drawn and complicated.
I would love to be teaching 8th-grade Social Studies and be able to be use this novel as a way to draw parallels between the politics of today and our society’s current move away from democracy and toward plutocracy; also, to highlight the excesses that herald the decline of a civilization—connecting this to Ancient Civilizations would be enlightening and engaging.
It turns out that Green Girl, San Diego Momma and I all think this is a book you should definitely get a copy of—share it with your kids if you have them and enjoy it yourself if you don’t. It will certainly make you think.
I used a random number generator to pick giveaway winners. Alas, the first number was an insurance spammer and I am not that charitable; I pushed “generate” again and got #7. Jocelyn wins the copy of Mystery Kill. There are two things you should know about Jocelyn. First, she is so smart, funny and insightful that if she wasn’t younger than me I’d want to be her when I grow up. Secondly, I think I’m probably going to wait until she gets home from her sabbatical in Turkey to mail her the book!
Totally Nancy Drew here, like many others. Then I grew up and realized I miss some sort of natural curiosity--I'd start reading mysteries, get half way through, shrug, and stop. I sort of didn't care who dunnit.
All of which is to say, maybe I should hope I don't win this giveaway, eh?
Posted by: Jocelyn | January 17, 2011 at 05:48 PM
REALITY IS BROKEN was a change of pace for me—a non-fiction book that I’m not reading for school. And it is really interesting. This book takes an academic subject and makes it imminently compelling and readable. Plus, it may turn some of your thoughts about gaming upside-down.
Two of my kids (MVP and Social Butterfly) don’t really play video games at all; the other two (Grownup Girl and Danger Boy) do, or have, played games—sometimes in an amount that I was worried was excessive. These days they’re both so busy with other stuff that although they enjoy gaming as a means to relax, it is definitely not “too much.”
Jane McGonigal begins the book by defining games and her favorite definition comes from a philosopher, Bernard Suits, “Playing a game is the voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles.” Simple, yet brilliant, eh?
This really resonated with me: “We’d be much better off avoiding easy fun and seeking out hard fun, or hard that we enjoy . . .” So true, isn’t it? Do you feel better after vegging in front of the TV for two hours or gardening for two hours?
The connection to gaming this has it that we have the tools to harness the “hard fun” that gaming can be and press that into service to reinvent our current world and reality. Instead of people building and populating fantasy worlds like “The Sims,” the same creativity and experimentation could be brought to bear on real-world problems.
Even if you are not a non-fiction fan, or a big fan of sociological/psychological work, this book is captivating.
What is your view of gaming? Are you a gamer? How about your kids? Leave me a comment and I’ll pick a winner next week.
To answer my own comment—I tend not to play on-line or video games because I have a very obsessive personality about certain things and I’ve had some experiences (Tetris, I’m talking about you! And you too, Facebook Word Scramble!) that make think it’s best if I just don’t get started.
I have been reading, but I haven’t been doing many reviews or giveaways. I’m getting back to it this week. So, first off, the winner of “Nonna Tell Me A Story” is commenter #3, Heather.
On Christmas morning, we eat a Swedish tea ring (sweet rolls, basically, but extra pretty) and scrambled eggs and egg nog.
Posted by: Heather | December 14, 2010 at 05:09 PM
I became a reader via mysteries. From Encyclopedia Brown to Nancy Drew to Sherlock Holmes to Ellery Queen to Agatha Christie to Sue Grafton, I love a good mystery. Mercy Kill is a good mystery. And it’s a well-written one; a priority for me. I used to be able to tolerate so-so writing for a compelling plot, but I’m becoming more discriminating in my old(er) age.
The unconventional heroine of Lori Armstrong’s novel is Mercy Gunderson, a former Black Ops army sniper adjusting to life back home in South Dakota. I particularly like how Armstrong really brings the stark South Dakota landscape to life—in certain places the landscape is almost an additional character in a story and I feel that South Dakota is one of those places. I also appreciate the insight into the army experience in Afghanistan that’s woven throughout.
While this book stands on it’s own, it is the second in a series and I’ll definitely go back and read the first installment, No Mercy.
If you’re interested in getting invested in the storyline of a tough but vulnerable woman with demons to battle you’ll want to read this book.
If you’re a mystery reader like me, what book or character first hooked you? Leave me a comment and I’ll pick a winner next week.
One of our favorite family traditions (on hiatus now until grandkids come along) was to buy one (or more) Christmas books every year. Then throughout the holiday season we’d use those for our nightly story time—which was more special in winter because we’d light a fire in the fireplace and snuggle together on a quilt to read.The books were extra-special because when we took the tree down we also put the books away.
Our holiday baking has also always been a special time for us. Even Danger Boy, contributes—my MIL’s peanut clusters. Social Butterfly and I do our cinnamon rolls, Grownup Girl makes peppermint bark and MVP helps with everything—from homemade Oreos to sugar cookies to peanut butter cookies.
Today’s giveaway is a delightful book that combines the story of a grandmother’s Christmases when she was a little girl in Italy with some excellent recipes; it is by renowned Italian chef Lidia Bastianich.
This sweetly illustrated book serves as an excellent reminder that at Christmas time it is the simple things and the togetherness that serve to make the holiday special.
I was tempted to keep my copy, but in the Christmas spirit I decided to give it away. Leave me a comment telling me what your favorite holiday tradition is and I’ll pick a winner next week. You won’t get the book in time for Christmas, but it will be great to have next year.
Thanks to Running Press for the opportunity to do this giveaway.
The winner of last week’s book giveaway is #4:
Posted by: Marms37 | November 08, 2010 at 10:41 AM
The resiliency of the human spirit surely is amazing—your comments included some heartbreaking stories.
Now, onto the fun, fun, fun!
Dina, from Big Honcho Media, sent me these to sample; Social Butterfly quickly set to sampling.
The Window Art was, in Klutz fashion, both fun and eminently do-able. Not to mention decorative—they’ve brightened up her bathroom mirror quite a bit.
The Capsters were just as much fun and would make delightful magnets.
Here’s the giveaway:
KLUTZ Window Art and Capsters
BOOK REVIEWS & GIVEAWAY
ONE WINNER FROM YOUR SITE WILL RECEIVE
A HUGE KLUTZ prize pack featuring:
Retail Value: $75.99
CHECK OUT THE KLUTZ WEBSITE TO LEARN MORE
Capsters is the ultimate introduction to a form of pop art using bottle caps, specially sized round art, charms, gems, glitter and special goo, all included within the book!
Window Art Classic features ready-to-trace designs along with window paint to decorate all the glass surfaces in your house!
Who are you going to craft with or give the gift of craft to? Leave me a comment and I will pick a winner in two weeks.
Even if you don’t win, Klutz is offering a coupon code for holiday use: KZ25
The winner of Unstoppable in Stilettos was #6, Baby Favorite.
I always remind people to think positively. I truly believe it not only affects certain outcomes in life but also how we see things.
Posted by: Baby Favorite | October 25, 2010 at 02:13 PM
I get quite a few offers to review books; often I read the emails on my phone and respond with a quick “yes” or “no thanks.” Sometimes I don’t go back to read the details until I’m posting. I did not realize that the actual author was the person asking if I’d like a copy of the book—I feel a little foolish that detail slipped by me.
This memoir was a compelling read and I have the utmost respect for Lynda Fishman. She is a woman worthy of admiration. She suffered a terrible tragedy when her mother and sisters were killed in a plane crash when she was 13 years old. This tragedy is compounded when her father never recovers from the loss and marries a woman who personifies the evil stepmother stereotype.
Lynda uses whatever tools she can find, including her own considerable grit, to fashion the life she wants. To choose hope over despair. To survive and to thrive. She becomes a woman, a wife, a mother and a social worker who lives her life in a way that honors and celebrates the beginning her mother gave her.
When a book is the true recounting of someone’s tragedy it is hard for me to know how to describe my feelings about it. To say I “enjoyed” it or “liked” it or was “captivated” by it seems to me to be tone deaf in that the book would not have been written had something terrible not happened—something the author would give anything to not have had happened.
What I can say is I am very grateful to have read it—and I am inspired by Lynda’s resilience.
One specific thing I can say that really added to the book were the details the author included about the way Air Canada handled the aftermath of the crash; we all know that what happens behind the headlines is different than what we are told—in this case, it is very different and that information is both interesting and shocking.
I am happy to be able to pass my copy on to one of you—leave a comment telling me about someone in your life (maybe even you) that has shown you an example of resilience and I will pick a winner next week.
Thanks to Lynda Fishman for the chance to review and giveaway this book. You can visit her website at RepairingRainbows.com.
The winner of the Laws of Attraction giveaway is #4. Julie, send me your snail mail so I can get this to you.
I have loved mysteries starting with my Nancy Drew days, then I moved on to Agatha Christie & think I've owned most of them at one time or another.
I don't know who my favorite author is now, but I tend to like the fluffy ones that involve food, cats, knitting or all of the above. I use them as sleeping pills...
Posted by: Julie M | October 11, 2010 at 10:19 AM
I was scheduled to do this book review today and I didn’t receive the book until Wednesday, so I was a little worried. But, the up side to subbing in middle and high schools is that daily prep period—when you have nothing to prep you can read—and so, I did. Through lunch and prep on Friday and then when I got home.
I am not generally a big self-help person, but I really enjoyed this outside-the-box, practical and positive memoir/advice book.
To start with, Lauren Ruotolo is definitely the kind of person you can imagine meeting at a party and being taken with—she exudes a spirit of fun. She’s up front about her physical difficulties and the obstacles those difficulties have presented in her life. BUT, she views obstacles as something to be overcome—and her indomitable spirit lets her do that; it also encouraged her to share how she does it.
I think this would be an excellent graduation book for any young woman and a great choice for someone that might be struggling with a sense of self (which pretty much covers all teenagers).
It’s not a weighty tome, and the tone is decidedly breezy, but the messages, and the anecdotes she chooses to illustrate them, are compelling.
My favorite chapter is the one called, Pay your Dues. Yes! I say; recognize that we all need to pay our dues. But Lauren says it better than I do, so listen to her instead.
What piece of life advice do you give when asked? Leave me a comment and I’ll pick a winner next week.
Thanks to Lisa at TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to review this book.
First off, congrats to Mama Hen ‘Em—I know she and her daughter will have a blast with the Moving Day book club giveaway. And I’m counting on her to blog it, too!
#3 I LOVED The Little House on the Prairie and yay that my girlie already loves it, too!
Posted by: Mama Hen Em | October 04, 2010 at 11:45 AM
This book, a debut novel by a federal prosecutor in Washington D.C., arrived as I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with my to-do list. The thing about me though is that, to-do list a mile long or not, I have to read. You know how you feel about breathing? That’s exactly how I feel about recreational reading.
This mystery novel was perfect for the kind of fitting-it-in reading I have time for lately. Compelling enough that I was excited to be able to dip into and get a couple of more pieces of the puzzle, but not so complicated I had to figure out where I left off. Altogether enjoyable.
This is the first mystery I’ve read for a while—and you’re talking to someone who was weaned on Nancy Drew, learned the love of Sherlock Holmes from my grandmother and once owned every Agatha Christie ever written.
I really appreciated the compelling back story of the protagonist’s life that was revealed in snippets as she unraveled the mystery. There was love, loss, and longing along the way, but not so much that it overwhelmed the mystery plot.
I thought I guessed the twist at the end, but I was only half-right—which means I got that satisfaction (for me) of knowing the writer was good enough to fool me.
Are you a mystery reader? Who’s your favorite author? I’ll pick a winner next Monday and then you can see for yourself if you can figure out whodunit.
Thanks to Ashley at Touchstone Publicity for the opportunity to do this review/giveaway.
