Savvy Verse & Wit

Savvy Verse & Wit HAS MOVED

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Sat, 01 May 2010 13:01:00 +0000

Please update your feed readers to http://savvyverseandwit.com or http://feeds2.feedburner.com/savvyverseandwit/YMAQ

Thanks, everyone.

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena's Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Welcome to National Poetry Month

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Sat, 01 May 2010 03:59:00 +0000

THIS IS A STICKY POST~~

Welcome to the 2010 National Poetry Month Blog Tour!

I've been doing National Poetry Month events on the blog for several years from writing a poem a day to posting about new poets, but this year, I thought it was time to step it up a notch!

So I've corralled some great blogger buddies and poets to contribute in the first ever National Poetry Month Blog Tour. Monica at Monniblog created some great buttons for the occasion, and you'll see some variation of them throughout the month-long tour.

You're probably asking yourself, what will I find on this tour. Never fear, I will be posting a schedule of blogs, their dates, and their topics for you. But first I want to let you know that you too can read poetry, enjoy the places it takes you, and share it with friends and family. Like fiction or nonfiction, poetry just requires some exploration to find the poetry that speaks to you.

Nikki Giovanni says, "I've never 'blogged' before so this is new territory for me. I do poetry though and that is always somewhere in the netherland. I think poetry is employed by truth. I think our job is to tell the truth as we see it. Don’t you just hate a namby-pamby poem? That goes all over the place saying nothing. Poets should be strong in our emotions and our words. That might make us difficult to live with but I do believe easier to love. Poetry is garlic. Not for everyone but those who take it never get caught by werewolves."

Hopefully, this blog tour will express the variety of poetry available and you will find poets and poetry that you connect with. If not, that's OK too, but maybe we can't be friends (LOL).

At the end of the month, I am going to post a poll for you to decide which posts you enjoyed most, and the top three bloggers -- and maybe more, depending on the donations -- will receive a prize for participating. Never fear, there will be prizes for readers as well.

Here on Savvy, I'll be showcasing a variety of contemporary poets, the Virtual Poetry Circles will continue as scheduled, but there will be a few other fiction and nonfiction books featured for pre-scheduled tours.

OK, lets get to the National Poetry Month 2010 Blog Tour Schedule (I'm so happy with the turnout):

April 1: Savvy Verse & Wit Welcome Post, Maw Books showcases her old poetry, Semicolon's Favorite Classic Poems Survey

April 2: Diary of an Eccentric on Emily Dickinson, 32 Poems Interview with Geoffrey Brock

April 3: Regular Rumination on poet Claudia Emerson

April 4: Indextrious Reader interviews poetry publisher Brick Books

April 5: Jenn's Bookshelves reviews Tighty Whitey Spider by Kenn Nesbitt, West of Mars introduces the Roadie Poet

April 6: Janel's Jumble showcases Estrella Azul, The Betty and Boo Chronicles showcases Slamming Open the Door.

April 7: Reading Frenzy features Edgar Allan Poe

April 8: Books and Movies features Billy Collins

April 9: Rhapsody in Books features W.B. Yeats, Literate Housewife will talk about Alan Ginsburg and one of his readings

April 10: Booking Mama will review Poetry Speaks Who I Am, Write Meg! features Kim Addonzinio

April 11: Tea Leaves will review "Song of two worlds" by Alan Lightman

April 12: Monniblog will highlight British Columbia, Canada, poets/poetry, Ernie Wormwood will talk about driving Lucille Clifton who did not drive.

April 13: Life Is a Patchwork Quilt features poetry for the deaf

April 14: SMS Book Reviews will surprise us with a poetry book review, Author Ru Freeman will talk about poetry's cross-cultural presence, such as Palestinian poet Dharwish

April 15: KCBooks will discuss Robert Frost's The Outsider and how it impacted her, Author Amok will post a Wall of Shame with a list of states that do not have poet laureates.

April 16: the life (and lies) of an inanimate flying object will review Poetry Speaks Who I Am and host a giveaway for 2 books, Evelyn Alfred will profile either Rita Dove, Marilyn Nelson, or Mari Evans.

April 17: She Is Too Fond of Books will review Tighty Whitey Spider, A Circle of Books will review a small illustrated Poetry anthology, Wordsworth The Eternal Romantic.

April 18: Bibliofreak will feature slam poet Regie Gibson and a technique for writing poetry that resembles that kid's game called MASH.

April 19: New Century Reading will review a couple of poetry books, 1330V will also post a poetry book review

April 20: Bermudaonion will review The New Kid on the Block by Jack Prelutsky, 32 Poems Blog will interview John Poch.

April 21: A Few More Pages will feature Lucille Clifton

April 22: Necromancy Never Pays will feature a poem

April 23: Everything Distils Into Reading will review a poetry book, In Bed With Books will discuss Romantic poetry, how to read it, and review Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know.

April 24: the bookworm will feature Pablo Neruda

April 25: Bookalicio.us will review How to (un)cage a Girl by Francesca Lia Block

April 26: Peeking Between the Pages reviews for one of these poets: Jill Bialosky, Margaret Atwood or Sylvia Plath; things mean a lot will review Mary Oliver's Red Bird; Jen's Book Thoughts features THE LINEUP: Poems on Crime by Reed Farrel Coleman

April 27: Jen's Book Thoughts follows up with more poems of Reed Farrel Coleman; Linus's Blanket will talk about her experience reading poetry, Reb Livingston's Your Ten Favorite Words, for That's How I Blog show with yours truly.

April 28: Ooh Books will post a poem for Free Verse with Mr. Linky; Estrella Azul will feature Karen Schindler.

April 29: Online Publicist will interview me, Boston Bibliophile interviews Cambridge Poet Populist Jean-Dany Joachim

April 30: Brimful Curiosities will feature read aloud poetry: Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young collected by Jack Prelutsky, All Kinds Of Families by Mary Ann Hoberman, The Wonder Book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal; Diary of an Eccentric's The Girl talks about Shel Silverstein and his books

Thanks in advance to everyone who is participating!

Here's the Mr. Linky to post your full link from the tour. If you want to hop on the tour and post about poetry during the month and snag a button, you're more than welcome to add your links too!

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena's Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Poetry Speaks Who I Am by Elise Paschen

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Elise Paschen's Poetry Speaks Who I Am combines written verse with audio recitation of poetry by the poets themselves on CDs spark young readers' love of poetry and verse. Readers between the ages of 11 and 14 will find poems in this volume that speak to their struggles with love, family, growing into adulthood, and making friends.

"[Paschen says,] For me this poetry is life altering. It's gritty. It's difficult. And it hurts in all the ways that growing hurts. It's meant to be visceral and immediate. It's meant to be experienced." (Page XI)

Gritty and real are the best terms to describe the struggles within these lines of verse, from being the only white kid in school to being a Black person at a time when political correctness suggests you are African-America. But more than that, there are poems about bra shopping -- the stepping stones of becoming a woman -- and the realization that the world is not perfect and that wars do exist.

Bra Shopping by Parneshia Jones (Page 16)

Mama and I enter into no man's, and I mean no man in sight, land
of frilly lace, night gowns, grandma panties, and support everything.

A wall covered with hundreds of white bras, some with lace, ribbons,
and frills like party favors, as if bras are a cause for celebration.

Some have these dainty ditsy bows in the middle.
That's a nice accent don't you think? Mama says. Isn't that cute?
Like a dumb bow in the middle of the bra will take away some of the
attention from two looking, bulging tissues.

Full of wit and sarcasm, this poem illustrates the angst and embarrassment of the narrator as she shops for bras with her mother under the watchful eye of the sales clerk. A number of poems illustrate these feelings of awkwardness and tenderness between friends and parents.

The audio CD that comes with the book is stunning as each poem is read with emphasis and care either by the poet themselves or a contemporary counterpart. In some cases, the poems are accompanied by ambient noise and/or nature sounds. Some poems will garner young readers' attentions more than others, but overall the CD works.

Used Book Shop by X.J. Kennedy (Page 108)

Stashed in attics,
stuck in cellars,
forgotten books
once big best-sellers

now hopefully sit
where folks, like cows
in grassy meadows,
stand and browse.

In a yellowed old history
of Jesse James
two earlier owners
had scrawled their names.

I even found
a book my dad
when he was in high school
had once had,

and a book I found --
this is really odd --
was twice as much fun
as my new iPod.

I always get hooked
in this dusty shop.
Like eating popcorn,
it's hard to stop.

Poetry Speaks Who I Am is a wonderful collection of classic and contemporary poems from the likes of Langston Hughes and Lucille Clifton to the contemporary works of Billy Collins and Molly Peacock. Each poem will reach out to young adolescents in new and exciting ways, having them nod their heads in agreement as emotions, situations, and dilemmas are unleashed in verse. Moreover, the poems selected in this volume will not have readers scratching their heads, wondering what it all means. These poems are straight forward and get to the heart of the adolescent matter.

FTC Disclosure: Thanks to Sourcebooks for sending me a free copy of Poetry Speaks Who I Am for review. Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena's Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Watermark by Vanitha Sankaran

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Some of us are born with an inclination to create beauty and live it no matter what the cost, while others follow traditions and keep their heads low. Vanitha Sankaran's Watermark weaves an intricate tale in the shadow of dark forces that once held sway over the Church and through which a young woman blossoms and carves her path in the world out of love and sacrifice.

"'For crimes of heresy and thoughts against our Church,' he began, 'the condemned who have repented are forthwith instructed to wear the yellow cross of the heretic upon their clothes at all times, so all may know their crimes and trust or mistrust their words and deeds as is just.' He brandished a parchment roll and read off names followed by crimes in his sonorous voice. Relief rose in cries after each name.

Auda watched the archbishop's mouth move. More than ever, he seemed like a puppet." (Page 298 of ARC)

Auda is a mute Albino living in France during the 1300s at the time of the inquisition when heresy and witches are seen even among the innocent. Her father is a papermaker and her sister, Poncia, is a young wife of a merchant in Narbonne, a prospering and sheltered city. Innocent activities in Narbonne can be misconstrued into heresy by those who dislike you, misunderstand you, or simply wish to be devoid of suspicion. Making paper and providing it to anyone, rather than parchment to nobles and the church, is unwise, but Auda and her father have unflappable dreams. Auda wants her voice to be heard -- clearly and loudly -- despite her disability, but already she is an anomaly being a woman of letters.

"'The Italians and the Spainards have sold their broadsheets for years,' her father said, glancing at Auda. 'The Church has done nothing --'

'Because Her eyes are fixed on France.'

'Oc, because France houses her pope, not because of any heresy!' His voice rose. 'Even if paper brought cause for concern, that doesn't put me in the same barrel as witches and heretics.'" (Page 189 of ARC)

Rising fortunes bring her to the forefront of society after being sheltered since her mother's passing, but can Auda handle what is to come, how her life will change, and where her conviction will lead? Watermark transports readers to a time when many in France were carefully watching their own actions and those of their neighbors, looking for sinister subtleties in their behaviors. It will emotionally tug at the heartstrings as Auda learns to come into her own, makes adult decisions, and learns that even simple actions can have hefty consequences and that love can transcend the physical. One of the best books of the year!

About the Author:

Vanitha Sankaran holds an MFA in creative writing from Antioch University. In addition, her short stories have been published in numerous journals, such as Mindprints, Futures, Prose Ax, and The Midnight Mind. She is at work on her second novel, which is about printmaking in Italy during the High Renaissance.

Check out the rest of her TLC Book Tour here.

***
Also don't forget to check out the next stop on the National Poetry Month Blog Tour at Reading Frenzy with Edgar Allan Poe.

This is my 23rd book for the 2010 New Authors Challenge.

FTC Disclosure: Thanks to TLC Book Tours, HarperCollins for sending me a free copy of Watermark for review. Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena's Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Author Carol Snow's Writing Space

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Carol Snow's novel -- Just Like Me, Only Better -- hits stores today, April 6. The protagonist, Veronica Czalicki, is a housewife who soon finds herself on her own when her husband leaves her for another woman -- the love of his life. She's now a financially struggling single mother, but she has other problems too. She just happens to look like a famous star. Veronica receives some respite from her daily struggles when she's asked to become the star's double.

Check out WriteMeg!'s review.

Let's take a look inside Carol's writing space. Please give her a warm welcome.

My office has pale wood floors, sage walls, and three big windows that look out to the street. It has two oak book shelves that I periodically (and futilely) attempt to organize, a comfy blue loveseat, and a really, really big oak desk.

Years, ago, when we were living in Park City, Utah, my husband found the desk through the local PennySaver. According to the seller, in the twenties the desk belonged to the President of Utah Power & Light; on the side there’s a little brass plague that says, “Property of UP&L.” As far as provenance goes, that’s not as cool as if the desk had belonged, to, say, John Steinbeck. (Granted, it’s hard to imagine Steinbeck’s desk making its way to Utah.) But I still like the sense of history. And, you know -- power. (Sorry. That was uncalled for.) The desk has four very deep drawers and a file drawer. We’ve been shoving stuff into those drawers for years. I have no idea what’s in there.

I have a computer on my desk. I use it to answer emails, do research, and waste vast amounts of time. I do most of my writing on a laptop while sitting (slumping) on the comfy blue loveseat. It is terrible for my posture, and I keep thinking I should put the laptop on my desk and sit on one of those big balls that force you to sit up straight or risk falling over. Somehow, I know I’d fall over. Plus, I’d be so uncomfortable that I wouldn’t get any work done.

Mostly, though, I like sitting on the couch because one of my cats usually ends up on my lap. I like to think it’s because they love me and not because my lap is soft and the computer is warm.

Thanks, Carol, for sharing your workspace with us.

I'm not sure how she gets any work done on those adult and teen reads with those cats hanging out all over her desk. It must be great exercise. . . for them.

***
The next stops on the National Poetry Month Blog Tour are Janel's Jumble and The Betty and Boo Chronicles. Go check them out!

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena's Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Read, Remember, Recommend by Rachelle Rogers Knight

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Read, Remember, Recommend by Rachelle Rogers Knight is an excellent organizing journal for passionate readers, but maybe not for book bloggers. As an avid reader with a to-read list in the hundreds, there are not enough pages in this book to house all of my reading wants and needs. An online version of this book may have been a better product, allowing readers to continuously add pages to their loaner and recommendation lists. . . but then wouldn't we call it Good Reads or LibraryThing?

The explanations on how to use the journal at the beginning seemed unnecessary, but could be helpful for a reader who has never kept track of their reading.

However, what is really useful in this journal are the lists -- lists of Pulitzer Prize winners, National Book Award winners, and more. There's room to add new book award winners, but again there should be more spaces attributed to this.

The loaner pages and recommendation pages are essential to any reader interested in lending their books to friends, family, and neighbors or recommending specific books to the other readers in their lives. It seems that these sections are thinner than the others, and depending on how many books a reader owns and loans out or recommends, these blank pages should be photocopied before they are filled up.

Finally, the journal includes a list of online resources for book lovers, which seems pretty comprehensive in terms of places to search for book blogs and lit blogs, but I take issue with the term "lighter" to describe some wonderful bloggers who may not have PhD's in literature, but have valid points about structure, theme, literary devices, etc. While many are not professional reviewers, their perceptions and analyses of books are no less valid or insightful, which the term "lighter" implies.

With all of that said, however, Read, Remember, Recommend is an excellent resource for stellar literature, online recommendations and information, and a place to write down reader's thoughts about their books as they go along -- whether or not those thoughts end up on a blog.

I plan on using this book for a completely different purpose. I've attended a number of writing conferences and have often heard the best way to figure out where your writing will be accepted by publishers and literary journals is to check out the acknowledgments of authors and poets who have writing similar to your own. As a result, I plan to use the journal pages to keep track of those literary magazines, publishers, and other locations where I should be sending my work, and hopefully that will translate into some publications. I've got a ton of books to go through and a good stack of pages in this book to fill up.

I've got an extra copy for one of my readers anywhere in the world. Here are the rules:

1. Comment on this post about why you want to get your mitts on this reading journal.
2. Spread the word about the giveaway via Twitter, Facebook, blogging, etc. and leave me a link.

Deadline April 12, 2010, at 11:59 PM EST

About the Author:

Rachelle Rogers Knight is a passionate reader who has enjoyed books her entire life. Rachelle self-published Read, Remember, Recommend and Read, Remember, Recommend for Teens in 2007, and earned the Bronze Medal for "Independent Publisher of the Year" from Independent Publisher Online Magazine in 2008. Sourcebooks, Inc. is releasing new and improved editions of the self-published hit this April.

***
Also Don't forget to check out the next stops on the 2010 National Poetry Month Blog Tour, Jenn's Bookshelves and West of Mars.

FTC Disclosure: Thanks to Sourcebooks for sending me a free copy of Read, Remember, Recommend for review. Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena's Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Mailbox Monday #76

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Since I have a book tour on Monday, I'm posting my Mailbox Monday post a day early. Welcome to another edition of Mailbox Monday on Sunday!

I hope everyone has been enjoying the National Poetry Month Blog Tour; If you haven't checked out the schedule or the posts, go here.

Marcia at The Printed Page and Kristi of The Story Siren both sponsor memes in which bloggers share what books they've received in the past week. I'm going to continue calling these Mailbox Mondays, but The Story Siren also has In My Mailbox. Just be warned that these posts can increase your TBR piles and wish lists.

Here's what I received:

1. Letter to My Daughter by George Bishop, which I received for TLC Book Tour in May.

2. SOS! The Six O'Clock Scramble to the Rescue by Aviva Goldfarb for a tour in April around Earth Day!

3. One Amazing Thing by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni for review in June.

What did you get in your mailbox?

***
Don't forget to visit today's stop on the National Poetry Month Blog Tour at Indextrious Reader who will feature a poetry publisher of Brick Books.

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena's Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

39th Virtual Poetry Circle

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Are you ready for the 39th Virtual Poetry Circle this week? I hope you are because this one's special. It's the first of the VPCs that fall during National Poetry Month.

If you missed my earlier announcement this week (don't worry, it's a sticky post), you can check out the 2010 National Poetry Month Blog Tour details here.

Today, we're going to travel back in time for a classic poem.

Remember, this is just for fun and is not meant to be stressful.

Keep in mind what Molly Peacock's books suggested. Look at a line, a stanza, sentences, and images; describe what you like or don't like; and offer an opinion. If you missed my review of her book, check it out here.

Today's poem comes from Osip Mandelstam.

The Stalin Epigram (translated by W.S. Merwin)

Our lives no longer feel ground under them.
At ten paces you can’t hear our words.

But whenever there’s a snatch of talk
it turns to the Kremlin mountaineer,

the ten thick worms his fingers,
his words like measures of weight,

the huge laughing cockroaches on his top lip,
the glitter of his boot-rims.

Ringed with a scum of chicken-necked bosses
he toys with the tributes of half-men.

One whistles, another meows, a third snivels.
He pokes out his finger and he alone goes boom.

He forges decrees in a line like horseshoes,
One for the groin, one the forehead, temple, eye.

He rolls the executions on his tongue like berries.
He wishes he could hug them like big friends from home.

Let me know your thoughts, ideas, feelings, impressions. Let's have a great discussion...pick a line, pick an image, pick a sentence.

I've you missed the other Virtual Poetry Circles, check them out here. It's never too late to join the discussion.

***

Please also stop by today's National Poetry Month Blog Tour stop at Regular Rumination on Claudia Emerson.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena's Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Steve Hockensmith's Dawn of the Dreadfuls is a whimsical prequel to the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies mash-up. But even though it is a prequel, the struggles with the zombies occurred long before this story begins and this is just a rebirth of the plague.

"Capturing a dreadful, it turned out, was the easy part. Getting it to go where one wanted -- that was nearly impossible.

Dr. Keckilpenny's custom-built zombie net fit over the unmentionable's head and upper torso snugly enough, pinning its arms to its sides. But the only way to get the creature to do anything other than hurl itself, snarling, at the nearest sign of life was to push or pull it by the attached rod." (Page 192)

In this story, the Bennet girls are being trained in the dark arts following the rise of the undead in the English countryside. Unlike previous mash-ups, Hockensmith stays true to Austen's language and characterizations, as much as he can with the introduction of zombies and ninjas. Mr. Bennet seeks to take on the tutelage of his daughters on his own, but the Order soon sends him Master Hawksworth, a young man of 26, who takes a keen interest in his daughter Elizabeth.

Along the way the Bennet sisters work hard to polish their skills, vanquish unmentionables, and reclaim their dignity in a society that finds their modern ways unappealing until it is convenient for them. From the strong and reserved master to the single-minded Dr. Keckilpenny, the Bennets meet obstacles head on and overcome them. Some of the same societal prejudices exist in this mash-up, but it's also full of fun dialogue, swift action, and bungling antics. And readers will see a different side of Mr. Bennet and learn some of Mrs. Bennet's past in Dawn of the Dreadfuls.

And for fun, check out this cool book trailer.

***
Don't forget to stop over at 32 Poems Blog and Diary of an Eccentric today as part of the National Poetry Month Blog Tour today!

This is my 22nd book for the 2010 New Authors Challenge.

This is my 4th book for the Jane Austen Challenge 2010.

FTC Disclosure: Thanks to FSB Associates and Quirk Classics for sending me a free copy of Dawn of the Dreadfuls for review. Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena's Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Winner of The Birthing House and Ravens

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:00:00 +0000

Out of 9 entrants...which is so sad for a giveaway...Random.org selected:

#1 Marjorie

Now, we can't say that being #1 is unlucky!

Congrats Marjorie; Enjoy the audiobooks!

Thanks to all the other entrants and don't forget to enter into my Winter Garden giveaway.

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena's Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

My Scene of the Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Have you ever been over to Kittling: Books? Well, now's your chance to not only check out a new blog, but also see where I blog!

Yes, I'm featured in today's (March 31) Scene of the Blog feature, which takes readers on a journey through a new blogging space each week.

You'll get to see where I read, where I post, and more. I hope you'll pop over and check it out. I'll be monitoring the comments all day and chatting with everyone who stops by!

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena's Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Fireworks Over Toccoa by Jeffrey Stepakoff

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Jeffrey Stepakoff's Fireworks Over Toccoa is a romance set around World War II -- a time when decisions between young couples were made in haste and passionately. Lily Davis runs against the grain of her family and society's expectations, but she's trying to curb her wayward inclinations and carve out her own life.

"It was a gorgeously plated meal that was ordered for her, one she was reluctant to disturb with immutable matters rendered by the fork, but even more loath to send back untouched." (Page 10 of ARC)

Lily meets Paul Woodward, and they fall in love just before he is shipped off to the war overseas. She spends three years alone, living at home with her parents as their marital home stands empty. In many ways, her life was put on hold, but just as her "life" was coming back to her it is turned upside down. She meets a fireworks technician and her soul mate, Jake Russo.

"The smell from the furnaces lingered. It ruminated through the woods well beyond the razor-wire-topped fences that surrounded the muddy camp like a nightmare that remains upon waking. Indeed, it was a smell that would haunt him for the rest of his life. Sulfurous and singed, coppery sweet, the remains of deer after a wildfire. It was nauseating, the stench of madness." (Page 222 of ARC)

Readers will be immediately drawn into Lily's story and the effects of war on Jake, Lily, America, and the entire world. There was much more WWII in this novel than readers may expect, but it is integrated well from how it impacts the characters and their decisions to their environments. However, one element that may bother readers is that Lily's granddaughter Colleen is introduced early on in the story and by the end seems little more than a plot device to get Lily to revisit her past. Readers may feel cheated in that the lesson they expect Lily's story to illustrate for Colleen is not as clearly defined and interaction between the two characters is very flat -- especially given parallels drawn between their lives. Overall, Fireworks Over Toccoa is a well-written romance that offers a look at a tough time in America's history, the passions of young love, and the duty-bound decisions many of us have made.

For more information about the author or the novel and to enter the sweepstakes (through 3/30/10), visit the Web site.

As an aside, I'm trying to keep track of where I first see reviews of books, and in this case, I saw Fireworks on The Printed Page and BookNAround.

This is my 21st book for the 2010 New Authors Challenge.

FTC Disclosure: I'd like to thank St. Martin's Press for sending me a free copy for review. Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena's Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Dewey's 24-Hour Read-a-Thon is Back!

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 21:55:00 +0000

April 10, 2010, at 8 AM EST is the start of Dewey's 24-hour read-a-thon!

I'm not sure how much of the 24-hour period I will be reading, but I did sign up to Cheer this year for at least an hour. I figure that would give me a much needed break from reading. It could end up being more than that, but I only wanted to commit to 1 hour since I've never done it before.

What books do I plan to read?

Poetry....lots of poetry! Why? Because it's National Poetry Month!

1. Stroke by Sidney Wade
2. The Wrong Miracle by Liz Gallagher
3. Your Ten Favorite Words by Reb Livingston
4. The Guilt Gene by Diana Raab
5. The Niagara River by Kay Ryan
6. Questions of Fire by Gregg Mosson

And maybe these books:

1. Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
2. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
3. Even the Dogs by Jon McGregor

I hope you will enjoy the inaugural National Poetry Month Blog Tour this year in the midst of your read-a-thoning!

What do you plan on reading? Will you be cheering? How do you breakdown your time?

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena's Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Mailbox Monday #75

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Marcia at The Printed Page and Kristi of The Story Siren both sponsor memes in which bloggers share what books they've received in the past week. I'm going to continue calling these Mailbox Mondays, but The Story Siren also has In My Mailbox.

Here's what I received:

1. Claude & Camille by Stephanie Cowell, which I received for review.

2. Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War by Karl Marlantes, which I purchased from Maria's Bookshop, which donated $2 of each sale to a local chapter of Disabled American Veterans.

What did you get in your mailbox?

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena's Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Call for Bloggers to Celebrate National Poetry Month in April

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 03:59:00 +0000

****Sticky Post****

Anyone who reads my blog knows that I pull out all the poetry stops in April, and this year is no different.

April is National Poetry Month and to celebrate this year, I'm calling on my fellow bloggers to participate. I need at least 28 of you to sign up this year and celebrate the genre.

I want to assign a different day to each blogger who signs up. On your day, I would like you to either review a poetry book, host a guest post from a poet, profile a poet, interview a poet, or any other post that highlights poetry, poems, and poets. If you want ideas, I have plenty...just ask!

It would be great if you have a topic in mind ahead of time so there aren't any duplicates. I want this project to be as diverse as possible.

What you need to do is fill out the google form below (I added a Weblink to the form for those who can't see the embedded form), and I will contact you with your date assignment for April, and all that I ask is that your post is up at least before Noon. Signups close on March 27. I will assign dates as I go along, so they will be doled out on a first-come-first serve basis.

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38th Virtual Poetry Circle

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 11:34:00 +0000

Today is the 38th Virtual Poetry Circle and we're going to jump back into contemporary poetry.

Remember, this is just for fun and is not meant to be stressful.

Keep in mind what Molly Peacock's books suggested. Look at a line, a stanza, sentences, and images; describe what you like or don't like; and offer an opinion. If you missed my review of her book, check it out here.

From Sarah Gridley's book Green is the Orator, which I picked up at this year's Split This Rock Poetry Festival (click for my recap of the event):

Sonnet on Fire

Is it the space,

if let inside of, you would remember having lived in
for a particular time? That thump

was a bird meeting vertical glass. Something in here
collides with elision. Your eye apprehends what had never

had walls. Mind curls                      (night falls)

and afterward, forgets the problem. Much of the blueprint

is rooted to death. Much of the glass

has attributed feeling. In the faltless iris
of a random swamp
some of the cabin

          could disappear. Especially in sundown all its surface
is stunning. Except when it rains,

or grasses move, the walls make no                appreciable sound.

Let me know your thoughts, ideas, feelings, impressions. Let's have a great discussion...pick a line, pick an image, pick a sentence.

I've you missed the other Virtual Poetry Circles, check them out here. It's never too late to join the discussion.

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena's Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Short Girls by Bich Ming Nguyen

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Bich Minh Nguyen's Short Girls is a story of Vietnamese, second-generation immigrants Linny and Van Luong and their family. Their father, a loner and inventor, holding them at arms length, and their familial history is obscured by stories and silence. The story is broken into alternating chapters about each young woman, though written in a point of view that is more like an observer with each woman's inner thoughts are revealed -- much of this complaints or observations about how different they are from one another.

"The Luongs had always done this, scratching at each other's words as much out of habit as anything. But this time when Thuy Luong had told her husband to go sleep in the basement "like a dog"he stayed there instead of slinking back upstairs." (Page 4 of ARC)

Van is an immigration lawyer with the "perfect" life, or at least that's how it seems to her sister, Linny. Linny, on the other hand, has a free life where she can act and do as she desires on a whim without responsibility -- at least that's how it seems to her sister. The tension between these sisters is vivid, but in many ways could have been better executed without the internal dialogue complaints about the other sister at every turn or before each memory surfaced to demonstrate their differences.

"She would have set the glass to shattering, sailed through someone else's house, used up all the space that humans never reached." (Page 53 of ARC)

Van's world has been falling apart slowly, and now she is set adrift without a compass and without a husband. She struggles to keep her drama to herself and to overcome the emptiness in her home and her life. Meanwhile, Linny has to come to grips with her errors and her drifting life to make her dreams come true, while at the same time support her sister and her father, who continues to struggle to find success.

"Linny put in long hours experimenting shadows and liners, trying to make her eyes look bigger, deeper-set, less Asian. She painted plum colors up to her eyebrows and applied three coats of mascara. She ran peroxide-soaked cotton balls through her hair to create caramel highlights." (Page 58 of ARC)

Nguyen's Short Girls is a look at racial discrimination, height discrimination, immigrants looking for their place in a society that welcomes and shuns them, and finding once self amid the melting pot and one's own family, while trying to accept your family's own faults and ideas about success and love.

This is my 20th book for the 2010 New Authors Reading Challenge.

FTC Disclosure: Thanks to Library Thing Early Reviewers and the Viking for sending me a free copy of Short Girls for review. Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena's Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Tim O'Brien Gets to the Emotional Core at Politics and Prose

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 13:10:00 +0000

Yesterday, I spent a great deal of time at work reading since I was waiting for the seven o'clock hour to arrive when I would get to see the "great" Tim O'Brien speak at Politics & Prose in Washington, D.C. Suffice to say, I'm nearly finished another book, got to eat at Chipotle -- which I sorely miss from my days in downtown Bethesda -- and made it to the reading for the 20th anniversary of O'Brien's The Things They Carry with little time to spare -- let's just say there were only a couple of seats that were still empty, one of which was snatched by an older gentlemen and promptly moved to the front of the room for him to sit in.

Once there, we waited for O'Brien, who was not on time, though I would blame the D.C. traffic for that one. But I did catch a glimpse of him in the P&P office drinking a beverage.

By this point I'm sure you've guessed that I purchased my copy of the new edition of the novel, which by the way was re-edited by O'Brien and reworked -- something we learned during the Q&A when a teacher asked about the differences her students found in their varying editions.

O'Brien began the reading with a letter he received from "Nancy" (he changed her name) that talked about the power his books had emotionally for her family, particularly for her father, a Vietnam War Vet. In the letter, Nancy explained how sharing the books with her father enabled him to open up to her about his time in Vietnam and ultimately it helped to repair his relationship with not only his daughter but his wife as well. O'Brien was emotional while reading the letter and talked about how as an author, he simply wanted to tell a good story and that he had no intention of writing something that could repair families or have other emotional consequences. He also talked about how books, particularly fiction, affect the entire human being, not just the mind.

Although he did not read from the book, he did talk a lot about his children (ages 4 and 6) and about his own trip back to Vietnam in 1994. It was great to see the more personal side of the author, and I wonder if returning to D.C. on such a momentous literary occasion helped foster is emotional and more personal connection with the audience.

I'll leave you with a photo my hubby took of me getting the 20th Anniversary edition signed by the author! If you would like to see the other photos in the set, go here.

Has any author left you in awe after a reading?

***

Also check out this link from his discussion on Talk of the Nation:

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena's Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Tim O'Brien Returns to Washington, D.C., Tonight

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:00:00 +0000

Vietnam War literature has become more prominent on the blogs thanks to the War Through the Generations Vietnam War Reading Challenge this year, and in conjunction with that, I'm hopeful that anyone in the D.C. area will drop down to Politics and Prose this evening to see Tim O'Brien, an acclaimed writer in the genre.

Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried turns 20 years old, and to celebrate, O'Brien will be in Washington, D.C., at Politics and Prose to give a reading and celebrate the book's place in publishing history. The reading will begin at 7 p.m. on March 24.

O'Brien also is slated to talk about the 20th anniversary edition of his short story collection on NPR's Talk of the Nation on March 24 as well.

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena's Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Female Force by Neal Bailey, Ryan Howe, and Joshua LaBello

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Bluewater Productions' Female Force by Neal Bailey, Ryan Howe, and Joshua LaBello is a compilation of stories about some of the strongest women in politics -- Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, and Caroline Kennedy. The comic book is well drawn, with very realistic images of these figures.

The book starts off with Michelle Obama unveiling her childhood, her determination to do well in school, and her success in becoming a mother and attorney, long before meeting her future husband, Barack Obama. It was interesting to learn that she put off marrying Barack for a long while, even after her brother gave her his blessing. But the story doesn't end there; it continues through the campaign trail in Chicago and for the presidency.

Hillary Clinton's story also begins wither her past, beginning with her childhood in Chicago and moving through the presidential campaign. This pattern is followed with Sarah Palin as well.

These comics will help young readers and older readers get a better grasp on these women and the role they play in politics today. The illustrations are vivid and detailed, resembling each political figure accurately. Readers interested in a bit of sarcasm and another point of view of politics will enjoy these stories, and young women can look to them for inspiration.

This is my 19th book for the 2010 New Authors Reading Challenge.

FTC Disclosure: Thanks to Bluewater Productions for providing me a free copy of Female Force for review. Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena's Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Sneak Peek of Fireworks Over Toccoa & Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 21:00:00 +0000

I recently received Fireworks Over Toccoa for review and just started reading it. But I wanted to alert you to a sneak peek of the book and a giveaway.

Here are the details:

Before March 30, visitors to the book's Web site can enter to win one of 300 copies of the book or the grand prize romantic picnic basket with caviar, crackers, cheese, cookies, chocolate, and more.

On the site, readers will find an audio excerpt of the book, an online written excerpt from the book, and a letter from the author Jeffrey Stepakoff.

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena's Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 04:00:00 +0000

One lucky reader of my blog, anywhere in the world, could win a signed copy of Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah courtesy of The Book Report Network and the publisher, St. Martin's Press.

I haven't had a chance to read and review this book yet, but boy does it sound enticing. Check out this synopsis:

Can a woman ever really know herself if she doesn't know her mother?

Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard; the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father falls ill, Meredith and Nina find themselves together again, standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, who even now, offers no comfort to her daughters. As children, the only connection between them was the Russian fairy tale Anya sometimes told the girls at night. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise from the women in his life: the fairy tale will be told one last time—and all the way to the end. Thus begins an unexpected journey into the truth of Anya’s life in war-torn Leningrad, more than five decades ago. Alternating between the past and present, Meredith and Nina will finally hear the singular, harrowing story of their mother’s life, and what they learn is a secret so terrible and terrifying that it will shake the very foundation of their family and change who they believe they are.

To enter:

1. Leave a comment about why you want to read this book.
2. Tweet, Facebook, Blog, or otherwise spread the word and leave a comment with a link.
3. Become the blog's Facebook fan in the left hand column, leave a comment that you did so, and receive another entry.

Deadline March 31, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST.

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena's Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Winner of The Wives of Henry Oades

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:00:00 +0000

Out of the nearly 25 entrants to the giveaway for The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran, Random.org selected #21:

Gwendolyn B. from A Sea of Books!

Thanks to all of you who entered, and don't forget to sign up for my National Poetry Month blog tour in April.

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena's Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

The Birthing House by Christopher Ransom

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Christopher Ransom's The Birthing House was our latest book club selection, which was supposed to branch myself and Anna of Diary of an Eccentric out into the world of horror, etc. I started off with an audio book I purchased from the bookstore, but finished up with a borrowed copy of the hardcover from the library. OK, let's get to the review.

Conrad Harrison and his wife Jo are having severe marital problems in The Birthing House, and as a way to rebuild his marriage away from the pressures of Los Angeles, Calif., Conrad buys a home in Black Earth, Wisconsin, following the death of his father. Jo isn't exactly thrilled with the birthing house or the fact that it was in a small town in the middle of nowhere, but she has little choice after Conrad gives her an ultimatum.

Readers will find moments of suspense and confusion in this novel, which could be traced back to the ability of the writer to properly sequence certain events. Ransom has a knack for writing internal dialogue that adequately reveals characters' true emotions and faults. But in terms of creating a sense of fear in the reader, Ransom's writing is hit or miss.

"He was starting to doubt that he had actually seen it move when the doll took another step -- click -- and then another after that one, moving with renewed purpose, as if it had just found what it was looking for.

But that's crazy, because it has no eyes.

Conrad was splayed crooked on the bed, immobilized as the absurd stick figure doll, no wider than a scarecrow Barbie, came at him in rapid steps -- click, click, click, CLICK, CLICK, CLICK! -- and raised its pipe cleaner arms to attack." (Page 76)

It is clear that as the book moves on that Conrad is losing his mind, but how far has he lost it and how much of the haunting is real, and what is the history of this birthing house? Ransom waits too long to reveal anything of substance about the birthing house, and readers will grow frustrated as Conrad wanders about, bumbling over the teen next door and her voluptuous, pregnant curves, while his wife is out of town for sales training. In fact, the absence of Jo and her odd behavior on the phone leaves her character underdeveloped and almost pointless to the story until the final chapters.

"He wanted to touch the ghost, if that's what it was, maybe even help it. Her. He was terrified, repulsed, and drawn to it as he was drawn to the girl and the destruction she would bring down." (Page 189)

There are many instances where The Birthing House reads like a bad horror movie in which the characters willingly put themselves in harm's way and refuse to contact the police or outsiders fail to intervene. Ransom is a good writer, but this novel falls flat. The narrator of the audio book was good at differentiating characters' voices, but the material in the novel made some of the scenes very comical when read out loud. As a book club selection there is a great deal to talk about, but is it really worth the time spent?

To enter to win a copy of The Birthing House and/or Ravens (click for my review) on audiobook (GLOBAL):

1. Leave a comment on this post about what horror book you've enjoyed.
2. Facebook, Tweet, blog, or otherwise spread the word and leave a link on this post.

Deadline is March 30, 2010, 11:59 PM EST

This is my 4th book for the 2010 Thriller & Suspense Reading Challenge, and I'm counting this as a horror thriller.

This is my 18th book for the 2010 New Authors Reading Challenge.

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena's Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Mailbox Monday #74

noreply@blogger.com (Serena) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 04:00:00 +0000

I hope you enjoyed my wrap-up of the one-day conference, Writing the Future, which took place at The Writer's Center in Bethesda. There was a lot of discussion about using social media as a writer to sell books and writing and how much in transition the publishing industry is.

I want to apologize to all of my blogger friends because I haven't been by your blogs of late. The last couple of months have been a whirlwind of events from the conference yesterday to the Split This Rock, and I'm not sure when these events will slow down. Just know that I will be visiting periodically -- you'll see me comment on old posts!

Marcia at The Printed Page and Kristi of The Story Siren both sponsor memes in which bloggers share what books they've received in the past week. I'm going to continue calling these Mailbox Mondays, but The Story Siren also has In My Mailbox.

Here's what I received:

1. Crazy Aunt Purl's Home Is Where the Wine Is by Laurie Perry, which showed up one day and then I caught up on some blogs in Google Reader and found that I had won the book from A Novel Menagerie.

2. Romancing Miss Bronte by Juliet Gael, which is a LibraryThing Early Reviewers book.

3. The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen, which I received for review from Simon and Schuster.

4. Read + Remember + Recommend by Rachelle Rogers Knight, which I received from Sourcebooks for review and an extra copy for a giveaway!

5. Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok, which I received from Shelf Awareness for review.

6. Chow Hounds by Ernie Ward, D.V.M., which I received, finally, for a TLC Book Tour in April.

7. Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel, which I received from Anna at Diary of an Eccentric since she got two randomly from Random House.

8. Revisions Of by Goodloe Byron, which I received free at the Writing the Future conference.

9. Creative Nonfiction magazine, which held its relaunch at the conference and gave out free copies.

What did you get in your mailbox?

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page; No purchase necessary, though appreciated.

© 2010, Serena Agusto-Cox of Savvy Verse & Wit. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Savvy Verse & Wit or Serena's Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.