Go to Sleep, Little...Pup?

Hi there everyone!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today we are celebrating a book birthday in style...and this is one book that has a lot of "bark" in its bite! 

That's right!  Today the pups take over the blog as they go barking mad for a new title that just hit store shelves near you.  It's perfect for readers of all ages, but specifically made for THEM.  Ready to read all about it?  Here we go!  Today's birthday celebrant and book of choice is....

The Bedtime Book for Dogs

by

Bruce Littlefield

From the publisher...

Come. Sit. Stay. I want to tell you a story. I think you'll like it. It's about a TREAT and a good dog, a very good dog who wanted to go play. But his friend was busy....

This is a storybook centered around you AND your favorite pooch, or pooches.  The author invites you and your furry friend to listen to the story about to unfold with words familiar to both our ears AND theirs...pretty creative if I do say so myself.  I mean, the concept is simple enough, but when have you actually seen it employed and with such adorable success.  The actual story reminds all of us that our time is spent so much better together than it is apart.  The mundane becomes extraordinary, the boring turns into the most fun EVER.  The simple things in life are so much more enjoyable when the experience is shared with someone else and whether they be human or one of our four legged human impersonators, matters not....sometimes it even makes MORE fun.  ^_^

So, do I recommend this title?  Umm, let's see....umm....of course...and my own fur babies do too.  Ashley sat front and center for this story and you should have seen the range of emotions playing over her little face as things transpired.  Simply called for extra hugs....which I dutifully obliged.  This story is for one, for all, for the tall and the small; for furry and non, this book is LOADS of fun.  The tale is brief but the message is clear...oh and be sure to have a T-R-E-A-T ready at the end for your tail wagging friend.  Just a precaution.... (--Ashley, two cookies is quite enough....okay, okay, one more....--)

Review copy courtesy of Grand Central Publishing / Hachette Book Group.  (THANKS!)  For more information regarding this paw-tastic new title, be sure to check out their website, Facebook page, visit the book's YouTube channel, check out Westminster's Twitter (that's the author's doggy counterpart) or the author's Twitter, and of course the author's website. 

Until next time....*arf*arf*....or um, happy reading!

Euphemania by Ralph Keyes - Review + WINNERS!

Why hello there!

How goes it in your part of the world?


My world just got a WHOLE lot brighter with the finding of my missing jump drive.  Yeah, I was sweating bullets there for a while...but now, I'm simply ecstatic to have it back. *big cheesey grin*  Anywho... 

Hopefully the week is treating you right and the holiday spirit is making its way through the masses.  Finally caught up on last week's episode of Glee yesterday, and I must say...it was good!  Okay, so that's not a big surprise as they pretty much all rock (well, almost all), but this one definitely gives a boost to the internal holiday cheer meter.  Seriously!  They went all out with the songs, the story, the decorations...if you haven't watched it, might I suggest adding it to your to-do list very soon.

In the spirit of the season, you've seen and will see several more contests than usual here on the site.  Feel free to enter one, some, or all (notice I left out "none" because really, who couldn't use a few more GREAT books?).  All the links you need are in the RIGHT hand side bar under "Current Contests"...and for a few more around the blogosphere, check out the LEFT side bar.

Did you have a look?
Here's hoping since I'd hate for you to miss your chance to enter.
Anywho...on to the subject of today's post.
It's a combination review and winner announcement for a rather interesting title to say the least.  Ready to get on with the show?  Here goes!  Today's book of choice is....

Euphemania:
Our Love Affair with Euphemisms
by
Ralph Keyes

First things first...what IS a euphemism?  What...you didn't think that I'd just assume everyone knows what that word means, did you?  Pffft!  No way.  It's one of those oddball words that's fun to say, hard to spell, and used in conversation rather often but not directly.  (Confused?  You'll see...)  A 'euphemism' is... "the act or an example of substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for one considered harsh, blunt, or offensive"...by way of The Free Dictionary online definition.  In short, it's a nice way of saying something that could otherwise be seen as offensive to the general public.  We humans have taken this to a whole other level as we try to be "politically correct" about anything and everything so as not to offend anyone (I say "we humans" because I doubt the animal world takes this sort of detour in their communications....just sayin').  It's rather trying at times, wouldn't you say?  I mean sure, much of it as been ingrained in us since childhood becoming second nature to some degree but haven't you ever just wanted to say something straight out in lieu of beating around the bush?  (Oh look, there's an idiom right now...basically a cousin to the euphemism.)

In my opinion, this is one of those books that is best taken in small doses.  It's not to say that it was not an interesting read....it was.  It satisfies the inner etymologist in each of us as you uncover how words and phrases have changed in both structure and meaning over time....some for the best and others still to be determined.  Really, some of the niceties that have been invented in order for some things to be spoken of in polite company are astounding!  Even some of these newly invented means of conveying the naughty fall victim to the stigma the original word carried.  Not sure what I mean?  Example time! 

Let's see...this choice was actually harder than I thought it might be.  How so?  Well, euphemisms are as we said a nice way of putting into words those less than comfortable situations and conversations and as such the unending parade of commonly heard examples are shall we say more than I wish to put into words right here.  From a tad risque to OMG-you-did-not-just-say-that, there is not shortage to those with shock value.  However, back to my original point....an example.  Let's take a part of the body...no no no, remember we are in "clean" territory with this example....the stomach.  Once upon a time, it was in fact obscene to call this place of digestion by its name, hence it was referred to as the "belly", "rotundity", "paunch", "tummy", or simply the "midriff".  Yes, even this simple area of the body was cause for controversy and alarm over what it should be called so imagine the range of words used for others "things that shall remain nameless"...

In summary, a book for scholars and non scholars alike for you see there is a wealth of information as well as fun to be had within the pages of this particular book.  Don't believe me?  Are you calling me "truthfully challenged"?  "Misleading" even?  Why I am fully put off by that gregarious assumption...and by my own over use of euphemisms in those last few sentences.  (LOL)

ARC for review received courtesy of Hachette Book Group.  (THANKS!)  To find out more about this title as well as their full catalog, visit them online or follow along on Twitter!  As this book just hit shelves yesterday (a very happy book birthday to the author), feel free to run out and grab a copy to peruse at your leisure....very curious to see what your favorites euphemisms end up being. 

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But wait!  What's this?  I do believe a contest ended just yesterday for this very title!  *checks blog*  Yep, that's right!  That means there's a winner to be announced...wait, scratch that...THREE winners to be announced!  Here we go!  The winning names are....

 

#3 - Melissa

#11 - Cheryl F. (The Lucky Ladybug)

#19 - Meredith

*and the crowd erupts with enthusiastic cheers*

Congratulations!  You've each won a copy of Euphemania by Ralph Keyes...courtesy of Hachette Book Group!

Since the winners opted to include their mailing information, there won't be a need for me to vaguely promise to draw another name if I don't get a response from anyone....it's a done deal.  Special thanks to Hachette Book Group for the opportunity to host this giveaway for you, my readers.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this book as well as their full catalog, check out the website! 

Didn't win?  Not to worry!  Take a chance on the TWO other contests currently running and stay tuned...there's still more to come!  You can't win if you don't enter...so what are you waiting for?

Until next time....happy holidays....happy reading!

Tis the Season: Happy Holidays and Happy Reading!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

It's a new month....DECEMBER....can you believe it?!?

Time to dust off those holiday albums, deck a few halls, and all that jazz.

No matter what holiday you celebrate, this time of year is filled with cheer.

This festivity filled month allows us a break somehow, a reason if you will, to put aside our troubles and go with the feelings of the moment.  Rather refreshing, don't you think?

In the spirit of the season, I will be throwing caution to the wind and hosting several (yep...SEVERAL...) contests throughout the month.  Some are sponsored by the wonderful folks in the publishing industry be they publishers, publicists, authors or the like; others will be strictly from yours truly (in fact the big one in the category will kick off next week...in case you were wondering).  All in all though, I think you'll like what you see, so be sure to stop by for the bookish suggestions and stay for the contests!  Speaking of which, how about we kick things off by adding yet another to the current mix?  Sound good?  I thought it might.

Today's holiday fun kick off is for a book I am currently reading so the review is still to come but so far, it's very interesting to say the least.  Since the official release date of this particular title is 12/14/2010, I'm going to give you a chance to enter to win ONE of THREE copies of this book (thanks to Hachette Book Group) through midnight that very same night!  Excited yet?  Let's get to all the details...

The prize...

1 of 3 copies of Euphemania:  Our Love Affair with Euphemisms by Ralph Keyes

How to enter...

Fill out this FORM.

The rules...

(most are as set my our fabulous provider of the book prize...Hachette Book Group)

* Contest is open to residents of US and/or Canada ONLY.  No P.O. Boxes please.

* Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, you'll receive only one copy of the title in the mail. (Well, that's only fair.)

*  Entries accepted from December 1st, 2010 through Tuesday, December 14th, 2010 midnight CST.

* Winners will be contacted no later than Wednesday, December 15th, 2010 via email and have 48 hours to respond with their mailing information.  If it is not received in the required time frame, a new winner (or winners) will be chosen.....unless of course you provided it initially and then, no worries, the prize is all yours!

* Winners information will be sent to Hachette Book Group for prize send out and then discarded.

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So, are we having fun yet?

Sure hope so...and there is much more to come...stay tuned...

Until next time...happy holidays...and happy reading!

A Rose by Any Other Name....: Oogy by Larry Levin

Happy Saturday, everyone!

The end of October is fast approaching and so is my chance to share with you all the books chosen for their spooktacular features.  (Oh, poo!)  Fear not...whatever doesn't make it in between today and tomorrow will still be shared in the coming days; after all, we don't need an excuse to read spooky fun books, just merely the time and the right mood. 

Today's post features a title that may come as a surprise to you when you are considering seasonal reads; in fact it might seem down right strange.  No worries, I'll explain.  The spooktacular find today is less on the spectacular side and more on the horror side....ANIMAL CRUELTY.  Most of you out there are animal lovers and those that visit my blog often enough know that the same goes for me, but there are some that would rather see these beautiful loving fuzzy (and non-fuzzy) wonders put to much more nefarious uses.  Is it sad?  YES!  Is it true?  Sadly, yes.  In fact one case (among many) that gained quite a bit of media publicity brought these heinous acts into the limelight and raised a good bit of awareness nationwide, but if it stops at awareness there won't ever be an end to these unfortunate and unnecessary tragedies.  A small warning to those that are easily affected by animal cruelty (including myself)...the story has a sad beginning, but it is just that, a beginning.  It does not reflect the majority of the book's content nor the ending so take heart, it gets better.  Today's book of choice is....

Oogy:

The Dog Only a Family Could Love

by

Larry Levin

When one door closes, another door opens...or so the saying goes.  In 2002, one family saw this first hand in a most unexpected way.  The passing of a pet, whether expected due to age or ailment or not, is an unsettling event to say the very least and the thought of bringing a new fuzzy friend into the fold any time soon is hard to digest.  You don't want to feel like you are stepping on the memory of the one that came before plus there is a grieving period for most families, but sometimes circumstances present themselves that demand your attention and immediate action.  In the case of the Levin family, their beloved cat had just passed away and unbeknown to them someone new was about to come into their lives; someone that needed them as much as they needed him, whether anyone knew it yet or not.  This is the story of Oogy.

Reports of fighting dogs are more common than not in today's world.  A sad truth, but still a fact to be known.  One look at sweet Oogy and you're probably thinking he was one of these fighting dogs, right?  Wrong.  He wasn't a fighting dog in the least; in fact his very nature goes against everything the criminals involved in these acts of violence look for in a fighter.  No, Oogy's treatment was far worse.  Since he wasn't a fighter, they use him as bait.  Now I won't go into what occurs in these types of situations (you can look it up if you like, too violent to go into here), but rest assured it's not a pretty picture nor something that most survive.  Oogy on the other hand....DID.

This is the touching tale of what love and trust can really do even against odds that seem insurmountable...Oogy's story is one that is certain to touch the hearts and minds of readers and pet lovers round the world. How can you resist his adorable presence? I mean really, for all the tragedy that this dog has seen, he has one of the most open and welcoming faces that I've seen among dogs.  You would think he would be mean, afraid of people and the world at large, but he's not...a lesson in forgiveness we (humans in general) could surely stand to learn from.  Combine that with his affectionate nature and you have a dog that any number of people would be glad to call their own...I know I would and after reading this book, I do in some ways as will all those that venture to read this tale.

The only drawback for me was that the book lapsed into what felt like filler at times (detailing medical procedures, daily routines, etc to almost the point of one foot in front of the other) seemingly in an effort to lengthen the story relayed into an appropriate length for publication. Personal opinion...it didn't need it. The story shared is more than enough to capture our hearts and the family tie-ins of their life as a whole just further that bond.  You not only learn how their lives are now with Oogy, but how their lives evolved prior to his charming presence.

In summary, a book for animal lovers and readers alike; reading this book is to experience all that is "Oogy" and see what happens when a little love is shared.  This book was released earlier this month so be on the look out in a store near or online outlet near you.  Review copy courtesy of Hachette Book Group.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title and their full catalog, visit them online or follow along on Twitter.

Until next time...happy reading.

WINNERS: Dewey by Vicki Myron

Hi there!

Time to announce the winners from the contest that closed Sunday, here at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.  Without further adieu, the winners are....

 

#12 - Bri Meets Books

#21 - Kim (Book Butterfly)

#24 - Liz (Consumed by Books)

 

*and the crowd erupts with enthusiastic cheers*

Congratulations!  You've each won a copy of Dewey by Vicki Myron! 

 

Since all winners opted to include their mailing information (whoa...what are the odds!), there won't be a need for me to vaguely promise to draw another name if I don't get a response from anyone....it's a done deal.  Special thanks to Hachette Book Group for the opportunity to host this giveaway for you, my readers.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this book as well as their full catalog, check out the website! 

 

Didn't win?  Not to worry!  Take a chance on the FOUR other contests currently running....but ya know, you can't win if you don't enter....
Until next time....happy reading!

 

 

WINNER: New Tricks by David Rosenfelt

Hi there!

Time to announce the winner from the contest that closed yesterday, here at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.  Without further adieu, the winner is....

 

#14 - the1stdaughter

 

*and the crowd erupts with enthusiastic cheers*

Congratulations!  You've won a copy of New Tricks by David Rosenfelt! 

 

Since she opted to include her mailing information, there won't be a need for me to vaguely promise to draw another name if I don't get a response....it's a done deal.  Special thanks to Hachette Book Group for the opportunity to review this title and host a giveaway for you, my readers.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this book as well as their full catalog, check out the website! 

 

Didn't win?  Not to worry!  There are THREE more chance to win already running on the site and more still to come....but ya know, you can't win if you don't enter....

Until next time....happy reading!

 

 

 

 

Dewey Giveaway

Why hello there!

Welcome to post number two for the day here at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.  Though it is the second post, I think you'll be quite happy about it.  Why?  Oh, well....it kinda sorta has to do with....

...the chance to win 1 of 3 copies of the paperback version of Dewey by Vicki Myron!

To find out more about this title, just click on the link above or check it out over at Facebook.

Notice something about this particular edition?  Dewey is all decked out in his holiday finest (look at the cute little bow and ornament accessories...awww) so you know what that means....the perfect holiday gift for your own library or to give to another (ya know, if you're feeling generous and want to share the love....if not, I'm perfectly okay with the first option...hehe).

So, what do YOU have to do?

Not much....in fact very little.

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First....fill out the FORM.

(Just click the word above, it'll link right to it.)

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For a few bonus points (or ya know just because you want to, plus it'll make it more interesting), leave a comment on this post with your favorite holiday memory.  ANY holiday will suffice since the world is all about crossing them nowadays anyway.  (Seriously!  There were 'season's greetings' signs right next to the pumpkins and skeletons in our local store...)

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As for the rules....

(most are as set my our fabulous provider of the book prize...Hachette Book Group)

* Contest is open to residents of US and/or Canada ONLY.  No P.O. Boxes please.

* Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, you'll receive only one copy of the title in the mail. (Well, that's only fair.)

* Winners will be contacted no later than Tuesday, October 26th, 2010 via email and have 48 hours to respond with their mailing information.  If it is not received in the required time frame, a new winner (or winners) will be chosen.....unless of course you provided it initially and then, no worries, the prize is all yours!

See...that wasn't so bad.

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OPEN FOR ENTRIES:  NOW!

CONTEST ENDS:  10/24/10 at midnight CST

WINNERS ANNOUNCED:  10/26/10

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Don't forget to check the right hand sidebar under 'Current Contests' for all the other open contests going on right now....and don't forget, there's more to come.

Until next time....GOOD LUCK....and happy reading!

New Tricks by David Rosenfelt, Review + Contest!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers!

Today we delve into a book light on the uber-hard-to-figure-out plot lines but heavy on the overall enjoyment...and look!  It's part of a series!  *YAY!*  Combining the best of the mystery genre with a story heavily infused with doggy goodness....is it any wonder why this one caught my eye?  The book of choice for today is....

New Tricks

by

David Rosenfelt

Andy Carpenter, attorney at law....for dogs!  Well, okay, so he doesn't just cater to canine clientele, but he has earned a reputation for successfully defending our furry friends in several recent cases so he might as well add that to his list of case types accepted.  One bright and sunny morning, Andy is called in to the Judge Hatchet's office to discuss a new case.  Thinking the worst, I mean best....he figures it's a pro bono case since his recent quota in this category is zilch, nada, niente, goose egg...well, you get the picture.  In this case, it's more of a pro "bone" case....

The case he is assigned is a custody battle over one son of a champion show "man"....Waggy.  Odd name for a son, no?  Oh, wait....did I fail to mention that he's a Bernese mountain dog puppy?  My bad...  Waggy is being claimed by two parties, after his owner, Mr. Timmerman, is murdered for reasons still under investigation...his son Steven, and his wife Diana.  Oh, wait, scratch that....now it's only one party as it seems one of these two "blew up" at the situation...oh, now it's back to two again, now one, now...oh good grief!  This puppy is more highly sought than the last donut in the break room on a Monday!  Lucky for this little guy, Andy is a pro with pups and along with his helper, Tara (a golden retriever, no less), is more than qualified to take care of him while things get sorted out.  Shouldn't be long now, what with the way people keep up and disappearing...then again, who's to say who will be next?  There's a lot more at stake here than someone's claim over Waggy (though that's enough...he's so cute!)...something that people are willing to kill for.  Andy's job...to find out who, what, where, why and how...before it's too late!

YAY!  Let me just say that I totally enjoyed this book.  At just about 370 pages, it read surprisingly fast and kept my interest held fairly well.  The bonus aspect of short chapters also helps out those that are like me and dislike stopping mid-chapter if at all possible.  Now to talk about characters....

Andy Carpenter.  Hmm, how to put this...if he were real, I mean like actually existed outside of literature, he'd be someone I'd love to hang out with.  Snarky but fun....full of quick wit and humor...doesn't know when to quit, but in a good way....faithful to his girl even though they are states apart, a dog lover...  Hold on, I think I'm developing a character crush here.  ^_^  Seriously though, when I first started reading the book, it took me a second to get into his mindset, after all, he was a completely new character to me...but it didn't take more than a chapter or two and I was right there 100%.  Just try NOT to like this guy...no really, try!  I'd love to see how that turns out...especially with Marcus on the job...

Who is Marcus?  Glad you asked.  He's one of those characters that's there but not.  He doesn't feature largely in the main gist of it all until later on and even then, he more of a supporting role, but let's just say that if someone is supporting you, you know, backing you up...this is the guy to do it.  His presence in the story may not be huge plot wise, but it is felt in a big way.  (You'll have to read it to see what I mean....just try not to cross the guy unless you can run far, hide well, and....okay so yeah, he'd still probably find you, so just don't.)  Now on to the storyline...

I totally KNEW who the person behind all the shenanigans was. *fist pump*  No seriously!  Even when the author tried to make me change my mind with all the evidence presented, I still kept saying to myself...nope, sorry, I think it's really the-character-that-shall-not-be-named.  (What, you didn't think I was going to spoil it for you now did you?  *tisk*tisk*)  Now normally that would irritate the living day lights out of me, but in this case...not so much.  You see I was having such a great time with the story and the characters that it made little difference, plus it wasn't like it was handed to you on a platter or anything; you still had to work for it.  What does all this amount to?  Well, for starters, a bit of a discovery on my part...

In reading this book, I came to a realization about the 'mystery' genre that seems to be true for me at least....it's transparent.  Now before you bring out your mystery books to pelt me with, hear me out.  It's not in an I-know-EXACTLY-how-the-book-ends-from-page-one sorta way, but more in the sense that you know what's going to happen before it truly does. You're almost a step ahead of the lead characters if you're paying any sort of attention to the story. Take this book for example....the moment I read the portion that said the dog's current location was revealed the local news, I KNEW something was going to happen at Andy's house. I mean, laying out a welcome mat in this case would have been less obvious. Trouble just seems to follow little Waggy for some reason that I shall NOT reveal here...or confirm if it's really about him or something far more mysterious... *cue dramatic organ music*

All in all, a fabulously fun mystery read, great for a relaxing weekend or anytime you are simply looking for a little bookish fun.  Recommended for fans of the genre, but also those looking to just step into it...and no worries on the fact that it's one in a series, you'll never even know...it's that seamless.  I had such a fun time with this one, you can be pretty sure you'll end up seeing more reviews on this series in the future.

Review copy received courtesy of Hachette Book Group. (THANKS!)  For more information on this title and their complete catalog, visit them at their site or follow along on Twitter.  To see what the author is currently up to regarding this series, visit his site.

Now....are you ready for some more exciting news?  What's that?  How is it more?  Well, it's MORE because the first bit of excitement was my fun-tastic review (okay, so yeah, I'm saying it was fun....hopefully you agree)!  The NEXT bit of excitement belongs to YOU and is courtesy of Hachette Book Group!  Thanks to these fabulous folks, I have the opportunity to present you with the chance to win a copy of this fabulous book all your own!  Excited yet?  Here's the scoop...

The prize:

(1) copy of New Tricks by David Rosenfelt

How to enter:

Simply submit your information right here...

The rules:

*Open to US/Canada mailing addresses only!  No P. O. Boxes please.

* Entries will be accepted from Monday, September 27th, 2010 through Monday, October 11th, 2010 at midnight CST.  The entries will be tallied and entered into the random.org randomizer, after which a random number will be picked by their number generator.

* All entries must be submitted using the form accessible through this post.  You MUST include your email address in order to be counted as well as contacted should you be chosen as the winner!

*The winner will be announced and contacted via email by Tuesday, October 12th, 2010 and will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address.  Should they fail to respond in the given time frame, a new winner will be chosen.  If you choose to include your address in your entry, no worries...the time frame issue is removed.

*Winners name and address will be forwarded to Hachette Book Group for prize send out only and then discarded.

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Good luck to everyone!

Until next time...happy reading!



The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand

Hello again!

Third post of the day and you're still coming back?  Bookmarks up to you for certain (and a big smile on my face).  I hope Monday has been treating you well...it's been trying to beat me up but I think I can take him with a bit of strategizing.  We shall see....

Today we took a peek inside my shopping bag from the past week in all it's bookish glory, we shared congrat's over the announcement of the winners in two contests that just closed this weekend, and now we dive into a book review of one of those very titles.  It's a little piece of beach heaven to add to your summer weekend plans...with a little kick.  Today's book of choice is....

The Castaways

by

Elin Hilderbrand

The lives of four couples from start to present time told through memories and self realizations, after the untimely and slightly shady passing of one (couple) their own. Greg and Tess MacAvoy were celebrating their 12th wedding anniversary with a sail and private picnic for two.  With the year they've had it was a miracle to simply still be speaking to each other let alone celebrating anything.  Rumors of an affair and marital strife were at the top of their "wounds yet to heal" lists, but no one would have guessed that those lists would remain unaltered.  Several odd hours after their departure, the worst news began spreading like a tidal wave through this close knit group taking some under in it's wake and lifting others out of their darkest places despite the tragedy of it all.  In the days, weeks, and months that follow, each tries to deal with grief in their own ways...but what of their guilt?  It seems there is more than a passing glance and friendly smile between these friends.  What truths will be brought to light that were never intended to be?  You'd be quite surprised...

With enough descriptive talent used to make one want to visit Nantucket Island if not move there, and enough emotion shared in the various accounts of days gone by.....it is easy to see how this author has obtained a substantial following. Her love of the area can be seen in the smallest of gatherings to the most lavish affairs.  You come to know the town intimately, or at least as intimately as a third party reader can, and being able to imagine oneself there would certainly not be an unheard of occurrence.  I know I could easily slip away to the beach excursions or rowdy trips abroad while on my reading adventure through this tale.  Combine that with the summer season and you've got a day escape just waiting to happen.

Although I enjoyed the book overall....for me, in a sentence....the story was too "grown-up"; I cared about the characters and their lives, but the ending left me a little high and dry.  I mean, it was a bit too neat and tidy for my taste.  Everyone has their secrets, some of which you couldn't begin to guess, and everyone feels guilty for one reason or another that this "charming" couple is no more.  The struggles are palpable, the emotions at times quite raw (especially the grief that Andrea feels as well as the passing of Phoebe's brother during the events of September 11th....be certain to have a tissue or two handy for that portion), but the final big reveal went over a bit too smoothly.  I understand the characters knew each other well and had forged life long bonds of friendship in one form or another, but they were a bit too understanding in my mind.  Still, certainly a good fit for a tad longer beach read (it's close to 400 pages, not exactly a light weight but we're also not talking War and Peace)....perhaps to pull out on one of those laid back partly cloudy days of tranquility so hard to find nowadays. *searches calendar for one*

Review copy courtesy of Hachette Book Group.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this and the many other books in their repertoire, be sure to visit their site or follow along on Twitter.  Author Elin Hilderbrand just saw another one of her Nantucket Island based titles celebrate a book birthday (The Island)...to learn more about her currently published titles or see what she's up to next, visit her website. 

Until next time....happy reading!

Time to announce some WINNERS!

Hi there!

~waves~

Welcome back to another week here at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers!

The entries have been tallied, random.org has done their assigned task and we have a winner, no wait...strike that....we have multiple winners!!  That's right!  Not one, but TWO contests ended this weekend here on the site and the winners for all will be announced right here, right now....are you ready?  Can you feel the anticipation mounting as I draw out this into for a much longer time than needed?  Hehe...okay, okay...I'll get to the good stuff.  Here are our winners....

#2 - Pam K.

...you've won (1) SIGNED copy of The Space Between Trees by Katie Williams!

#26 - Colleen T.

#12 - Kathleen S.

#5 - Elise

....you've each won (1) copy of The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand!

Congratulations to each of you!  You each provided your mailing information (ironically enough) and so I'll be sending your information over to the publisher's for prize send out today.

Special thanks to Lara at Chronicle Books (The Space Between Trees) and Hachette Book Group (The Castaways) for the opportunity to host a contest for these great titles.  For more information on either of these publishers, be sure to visit their respective sites or follow along on Twitter.

To all of you that entered, THANKS!  You rock.  No really, I mean it!


Until next time....happy reading!

CONTEST: The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand

Hi there, insatiable readers!

What's that?  You didn't expect to hear from me again so soon?  Well, I'm just good like that, surprises and all.  Just kidding!  Seriously though, this is going to be a week full of fun!  We've got two book tours coming through, some tasty teasers tomorrow, and MEGA contest fun Friday and Saturday when the Got Books? Event goes live....yep, an exciting week if I do say so myself....but you know what?  Let's dial up the excitement a little more, shall we?

We all love a good contest, I mean who doesn't want the opportunity to read a great book?  With one of the visiting tours this week as well as the Got Books? Event, you'll certainly get your chance for bookish contest fun, but there's one more I'd like to throw into the mix.  It's a bit of a backward contest since the chance to win will precede my review, but we've done them before and everyone seemed to have a good time, so here we go!

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The prize:

1 of 3 copies of The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand

To enter:

Fill out this FORM.

The rules:

*Open to US/Canada mailing addresses only!  No P. O. Boxes please.

(Following the guidelines set by our gracious provider.) If you are an international participant with a friend in US/Canada willing to forward the book on to you, you are free to enter as well.

* Entries will be accepted from Monday, July 19th, 2010 through Sunday, August 1st, 2010 at midnight CST.  The entries will be tallied and entered into the random.org randomizer, after which a random number will be picked by their number generator.

(This way all the entries are mixed up nicely.)
* All entries must be submitted using the form accessible through this post.  You MUST include your email address in order to be counted as well as contacted should you be chosen as the winner!
*Winners will be contacted via email by Monday, August 2nd, 2010 and will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address.  Should they fail to respond in the given time, a new winner will be chosen.
*Winners name and address will be forwarded to Hachette Book Group for prize send out and then discarded.

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There you have it!  To find out more on this title, just click the link below the prize picture.  In the mean time, I'm gonna get cracking on finishing this book so I'm ready to post when the deadline hits!

Until next time....happy reading!

Order, Order in the Court!: Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow

Hi there, everyone!

It's me...AGAIN.  Yep, what is this, the third post of the day?  (checks post log...nope...fourth) What can I say, I just can't stay away.  Wanted to give a special welcome to all of our new followers (HI! ~waves~)...we've added about 70 new folks thanks to the Blogmania event on Friday!  It was a blast to say the least and thank you for choosing to follow!  Hopefully you'll enjoy your stay.  To all my "old" followers, you guys rock...but you know that, right?  We couldn't stay away from the contest fun with all of the great releases happening in the world of books.  For current contests on Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers, be sure to check out the right sidebar.  For contests around the blogosphere, take a looksie on the left sidebar.  Speaking of contests...one of the 3 that ended on Friday was for a book celebrating it's book birthday today.  Now, I present to you my review of it's predecessor (in the literary sense).  Today's book of choice is....

Presumed Innocent

by

Scott Turow

Rozut K. Sabich, known to his friends and colleagues as Rusty, has commited a crime...but it's not necessarily the one you would think.  He stand acused of two crimes...one of which we know he is guilty from the start, the other...well, you have to decide as the story plays out.  What we as readers are certain of is his breaking the vows of marriage and cheating on his wife with a coworker.  Does he deserve to be punished?  That's between his wife and him.  Does he deserve to be tried for murder?  (I know what you're thinking....WHAT?!? Where did that come from...trust me, keep reading...) 

Excuse me?  How did it escalate to this point?  Oh, well...it seems that the "lovely young lady" he was seeing has turned up...dead; not just your conventional "they-passed-in-their-sleep" dead either.  No, Carolyn Polhemus was brutally murdered...the question is, by friend of foe?  Being the dedicated worker he is, Rusty is put in charge of the case (he's an Assistant Prosecutor, by the way...just in case you were curious) despite his potential connections to the victim.  Connections that are still undisclosed to many parties.  As the investigation begins, the "facts" are just not adding up.  Between unlocked doors and windows, the unsettling way in which she was found or rather displayed, and what of this "B" file that is on record as being assigned to her, but can be found nowhere?  This type of file doesn't normally cross the path of a lawyer from the prosecuting attorney's office, so it's absence is twice as eye-brow raising.  As Rusty tries to uncover the truth, he will discover a wrong doing set in the past that is about to make waves in his future.  Can he beat the wrap being given to him and come out clean?  Or will he only be 'presumed innocent' until proven guilty?  (dun...dun...dun....)

Tantilizing, no?  (hehe)  Ah, but there is more than an intriguing story here.  Ever have a book just frustrate you to no end?  I mean really get under your skin?  How so?  Okay, let me see if I can explain.  When I first heard about this title I was like..wow, yeah that sounds good!  So I signed up for a review and took the giveaway option (by the way, congrat's once again to those that won) with my mind set on a return to the crime fiction novels I loved (not exactly past tense, just I haven't read as many recently as I use to).  A few weeks later, the book arrives....just in time to start the contest (GASP!) but not with enough time to review it first.  Cie la vie!  Caution was thrown to the wind and behold...the contest was put into action with the promise of a review the day the winners were posted.  (Henceforth, what you are reading here...)

I delved into the book wanting so badly to love the drama and story as it unfolded....notice I said wanting, yeah, didn't quite work out that way.  It's not that the story wasn't good....it was.  It's not that you couldn't develop a repetoire with the characters....you could.  For me, it was about the incredible amount of detail included (some necessary, some I'm not so certain of) that drew the story out longer and longer and longer...well, it finishes at about 421 pages then a preview of the long awaited sequel that was just released today (Innocent is the title of that work just in case you are on the lookout for it).  I say the sequel was long awaited (well, I don't say it...it's being toted that way) because this book was a re-release of the originally published book from 1987....that's 23 years later.  (Can you say WOW on the patience of his readers to wait that long for a sequel?!  Here's hoping that Stephenie Meyer doesn't wait that long to finish Midnight Sun....) 

To be honest, in reading this book, I found myself skimming pages in hopes of reaching the end a bit sooner (guilty as charged, but I am neing honest)...or at least I was until the trial started (that's the truth too).  That's where some of the action picks back up again and then the final 20-30 pages...WOW!  You will read every word of it regardless of how much or how little you feel involved in the story.  The ending just blows you out of the water as it comes way out of left field and yet makes perfect sense.  All in all, I can certainly say that this author spins an interesting tale and although I felt lost in the details at times, he marched steadfastly towards his ultimate goal and the ultimate ending (which I very much enjoyed!).  I can't say that I'll be checking out the next installment (took a peek at the preview and yes, I'm curious what happens, but not so certain I can read through the depths of detail again this soon), but I can definitely say this book was time well spent.  Recommended for late teen and adult readers due to story content and language.  It's not an all out curse or sleaze-fest, but it is realistic and gritty at times. 

Special thanks to Valerie at Hachette Book Group for both the review copy and the opportunity to host the giveaway!  (THANKS)  For more information on this title and more, check out their website or follow along on Twitter.  Note to the winners of the drawing, don't forget to send me your info!  If it is not received within the required time frame, new names will be drawn (don't like doing it, but will if I must).

Until next time....happy reading!