1. Becki
2. Jennifer
3. Amanda
4. Danika
5. Charity

Congratulations to the winners! I will be emailing you shortly with details on how to claim your prize.

I’d like to thank everyone who entered and helped to promote this giveaway as well as Hachette Book Group for sponsoring this giveaway. If you didn’t win this time don’t despair, you can still purchase a copy of Friends Like These at stores like Amazon.com. There are also still a handful of giveaways going on in the blog tour so be sure to check those out as well. I also have a few more giveaways coming up, so be sure to check back regularly!

Now that some things have gotten squared away I hope to be able to dedicate the time and love to my blogs again that they deserve. I hope to wrap up the Friends Like These giveaway today and hopefully get some of the reviews I had to put on hold out as well.

I thank you all for your patience and understanding and once again I do apologize for my unexpected leave of absence.

Danny Wallace has friends. He has a wife and goes to brunch, and his new house has a couch with throw pillows on it.

But as he nears thirty, he can’t help wondering about his childhood friends. His first friends. Where are they now – and where, really, is he?

When Danny finds an address book in which he’d inscribed the names and numbers of the twelve best friends he has as a kid, he comes to a stunning realization. They were probably all turning thirty, too! Were they also trying to cope with the confusing new fog of adulthood? Did they have a couch with throw pillows on it?

Journeying from London to Berlin, Tokyo, Australia, and California, he risks rejection and ridicule to show up on his old pals’ doorsteps. Memories of his 1980s childhood – from Michael Jackson and Michael J. Fox to Ghostbusters and Goonies – reappear as he meets former buddies who have blossomed into rappers and ninjas, time-traveling pioneers, chain-restaurant managers, and even Fijian royalty.

Proving that as things change they also remain the same, Danny re-befriends them all, giving remarkable new resonance to the age-old mantra “friends forever!”

Guidelines:

• To Enter just leave a comment on this post with a valid email address. There is no need to include your email in the comment itself as you must enter a valid email in the form and I can see that.
• This giveaway is open to residents of U.S. and Canada only. At the publisher’s request no P.O. Boxes will be accepted.
• If, by chance, you have entered a giveaway for this same book at another blog and have won please excuse yourself from this giveaway. Let‘s let others have a chance.

The giveaway begins today September 30 and runs until October 15, 2009. The winner will be drawn and announced on the 16th of October. As always, there are a few ways that you can gain additional entries to increase your odds.

Extra Entries:

• Twitter – Tweet about this giveaway for an additional entry. Be sure to include @joanana in your tweet and mention it in a comment on this post.
• Follow me on Twitter for an additional entry. Be sure to mention it in a comment. If you are already following me be sure to mention that as well as that will gain you 2 entries instead.
• Subscribe to The Symposium’s RSS feed or email subscriptions for an additional entry. Again, if you are already subscribed either one (or both) be sure to mention it double the entries.
• You may also comment on my review of this book for an additional entry as well.

Best of luck to all the entrants, and don’t forget, this giveaway is only running from September 30 through October 15, 2009. So hurry and enter today!

This week’s IMM is very short because, sadly, there was only one new book that arrived this past week. This is probably a good thing though, as it will give me a chance to get caught up on my reviews. Here’s what arrived during the week of September 20 through September 26, 2009.

Received for Review:

Kill Me Twice by Jerry Bayne

“He hovered over the Senator for just a second; then, with surgical precision, placed an ice pick at the base of Franklin’s head, then pushed it through his cerebellum. The body twitched once; death was instantaneous. Showing no emotion, Cardiff sat in a winged back chair and looked at his handy work. He had three or so hours to relax before snaking his way back into his coiled cage. He closed his eyes, not to sleep, but to breathe in the smell of death oozing from Franklin’s inebriated corpse. The sensation fired up the smoldering embers of his memories of why he was there.” – an excerpt from Kill Me Twice

From the author of The Gatherer, which received four and five star reviews from the top 500 reviewers, acclaimed suspense novelist Jerry Bayne slays his readers with knock-down-drag-out action and nail-biting tension. In this, his latest thriller, there is but one short directive: You better watch your back. The fact is, it has never been more difficult to distinguish the good guys from the bad, but that’s the way life goes in the political cesspools of our nation’s capital. Prepare to be shocked, appalled, and entertained.

It sounds terribly interesting and I can’t wait to get to it. Must get caught up first though!

1. Julie
2. Mik
3. Jenn

Congratulations to the winners! I will be emailing you shortly with details on how to claim your prize.

I’d like to thank everyone who entered and helped to promote this giveaway as well as Hachette Book Group for sponsoring this giveaway. If you didn’t win this time don’t despair, you can still purchase a copy of NurtureShock at stores like Amazon.com. There are also still a handful of giveaways going on in the blog tour so be sure to check those out as well. I also have a few more giveaways coming up, so be sure to check back regularly!

Should the Free Library be closed it will affect more than the people’s abilities to borrow books. The Free Library plays host to a variety of computer and adult classes along with numerous programs, and even provides classes for GED, ABE, and ESL programs.

It is my sincere wish that the budget is quickly passed so that the Free Library and its numerous branches can continue operating.

A few years ago, I recall hearing and seeing a few news reports on the serial killer who targeted prostitutes and fed their remains to his pigs on his farm. I was actually [at the time] surprised to realize that it was already going to trial and I was only just now hearing about it. I was surprised because, something this disturbing, did not seem to have gotten a lot of “airtime” in my area.

The main reason this story stuck with me, despite only knowing sketchy details, was the macabre thought that the families of the victims may have very well inadvertently ingested their missing loved ones if they had purchased any pork products from the pig farmer. The thought disturbed me greatly, and since the victims were prostitutes and drug-addicts, it also made my stomach turn to think about those pigs feasting on them, being butchered, and distributed to people for consumption. Now, years later, I was given the chance to pick up a book that chronicled this disturbing act of violence. I honestly couldn’t wait to get started on it.

When I pick up a true crime novel there are certain elements that I expect it to consist of. I expect it to be an accurate recounting of the events surrounding the incident that is being chronicled. I also expect the book to contain pertinent information on the case, the victims, and hopefully it will provide a bit of insight into the criminal’s mind. It’s not a lot to ask for in a true crime novel, is it? Yet, strangely enough, there seem to be quite a few true crime authors who routinely miss the mark. Gary C. King is, thankfully, not one these authors.

King’s accounts were clear and left no room for hiding facts or twisting the truth. Instead he presented the facts of the story, and a great deal of information as well, and let the readers come to their conclusions. As a result I could finally understand just how a killer like Pickton could hunt in the same grounds for over and decade and continue on with seeming impunity. I found myself becoming disgusted with the obvious disregard that law enforcement viewed the continued disappearances of Pickton’s victims and their bumbling attempts at investigation. Their interrogation was truly laughable and the way he was eventually caught was purely luck. Very saddening.

Despite enjoying the book there were enough flaws present that kept me from awarding it a four-star rating. The biggest detracting factor was the way the book started off. While I thought it was wonderful that King fleshed out the stories of Pickton’s victims, thus making them real and human for readers, the way in which their stories was strung together and presented was initially jarring and confusing. The time line that the author attempts to build during the first ten or so chapters comes off choppy and can make it difficult for the reader to keep everything in focus. Especially since there is some chronological jumping around. While discussing the victims, specifically the older ones that have not yet had charges brought against Pickton for, King makes comments and references facts and later events that those not entirely familiar with the case will find confusing.

Given the fact that the Canadian authorities did a spectacularly awful job interviewing and interrogating Pickton, I’m not entirely sure why the author felt the need to dedicate so many chapters to the interrogation. I felt it would have been much better for King to give the readers brief glimpses of the interrogations, for the sole purpose of viewing the authorities poor abilities, and then conveying the information discovered in the author’s own words. The authorities’ methods and attempts read like a badly written B-movie and there was just no saving that section. As a result it dragged the novel down and detracted from King’s otherwise wonderful writing.

I must confess that I was also disappointed with the photos included in this book. The book is billed as having “16 pages of disturbing photos” and yet there wasn’t anything truly disturbing about the photos provided. The courtroom sketches of Pickton were haunting, yes, and the photos of some of the victims was saddening, but there was nothing out and out disturbing about them. In fact, they were all photos that could have been safely used on the front cover of a newspaper and probably have been. Not what I would expect to see in a true crime novel that purports to have “disturbing” photos.

For the most part, I found King’s Butcher to be a well-written account of serial killer Robert “Willie” Pickton that not only chronicled his crimes, the events around and leading up to his capture, the actions of the blundering authorities, but also explained and answered just how and why Pickton was able to continue his heinous acts unchecked for so long. I will likely be adding King’s other true crime novels to my reading list.

Joana’s Rating: (3 out of 5 stars)

Special thanks to author Gary C. King for providing a copy for review.

Carroll, whose life was shaped by drug use, gained attention in his teenage years for his poetry, most notably in 1967 for “Organic Trains”. Carroll would continue to write and publish poetry for years to come. In 1978 Carroll pursued his interest in music and formed the punk rock band The Jim Carroll Band. The would go on to release six albums including their 1980 release “Catholic Boy”.

Carroll is possibly best known for his autobiography The Basketball Diaries, which was first published in 1978, told his life at a private school in Manhattan where he attended on a basketball scholarship. The autobiography gained even more acclaim when it hit the big screens in 1995, under the same name, and starred Leonardo DiCaprio.

While I enjoyed Carroll’s music and poetry, I will forever remember him best for his The Basketball Diaries. Reading his autobiography was a thrill, but when I saw it brought to life on the screen, I was blown away.

What will you remember Carroll best for?

(Article source)

Monday, September 7th was Labor Day, and sadly, this meant that there was one less day to receive mail this week. Now, here are the books that I received this week from September 8th to September 12th, 2009.

Received for Review

Cracking the $$ Code: What Successful Men Know and You Don’t (Yet) by Attorney Patricia M. Annino

Cracking the $$ Code: What Successful Men Know and You Don’t (Yet) sets forth important code cracking lessons that successful men just know and women just don’t, but can easily learn. Whether you are a professional, have your own business, work for a corporation or are considering re-entering the workforce, this book provides practical getting-ahead lessons from a successful woman who learned it in the trenches.

This arrived on Tuesday and it sounds like a very promising and helpful read. I have high hopes for it.

The Great Mrs. Claus by Chris A. Shoemaker

The Great Mrs. Claus is told by Sparky, Santa’s senior elf, and his favorite nephew and niece, Rassle and Klee-Klee. Their surprising bedtime demonstration prompts their doting Uncle Sparky to share a seldom-told poem. It details how Santa first met Mrs. Claus and fell (literally!) in love with her.

At heart, The Great Mrs. Claus is a coming-of-age story that proves we’re never too old to show our true affections for one another. It features Mrs. Claus – an often overlooked but smart and fiercely independent-minded woman with an enormous sense of humor!

The Great Mrs. Claus reminds us to value our loved ones and practice those daily family rituals that make life special.

This book also arrived on Tuesday. The poor mailman looked a bit harried as he tried to unload all of the boxes and packages that arrived at the house that day. It looks absolutely cute, but came wrapped in plastic, so I haven’t opened it yet to take a sneak peek. This probably won’t last long though.

A Cat’s Eye View of Life and Love by Sterling With Gentle Self-Help for All Ages by Marta Felber

Look into a cat’s eyes. What is the cat thinking? What would the cat say if the cat spoke your language? Sterling the Cat answers these questions in sixty stories dictated to M, his co-author. In “Mewsings” at the end of each story, he seeks meaning in what happens to him in M’s world.

You first meet Sterling curled up on the top shelf of an animal shelter waiting in vain for someone to want him. He has given up hope until M reaches up a finger for him to smell and says, “I choose you.” Thus begins their live and love together. He faces his anger, M going away, a ghost cat in the house, having to lose weight, the night he causes a cat-astrophe, moving to a new home, the no-fun birthday party, and the intruder cat – he calls her Miss Fit – who joins them.

These stories and the others lead up to the last one where he reveals a secret. Photographs throughout this large-format paperback help bring Sterling the Cat – and his Mewsings – to life for readers of all ages.

As a cat lover I am very eager to read this. Any book that has to do with cats grabs my attention, doubly so when it’s told from the cat’s perspective. I hope to get a chance to read this one very soon.

The Smart One and the Pretty One by Claire LaZebnik

Smart, successful Ava Nickerson is closing in on thirty and has barely had a date since law school. When a family crisis brings her prodigal little sister Lauren back to Los Angeles, Lauren stumbles across a forgotten document – a contract their parents had jokingly drawn up years ago betrothing Ava to their friends’ son.

Frustrated and embarrassed by Ava’s constant lectures about financial responsibility (all because she’s a in a little debt. Okay, a lot of debt), Lauren decides to do some sisterly interfering of her own and tracks down her sister’s childhood fiance. When she finds him, the highly inappropriate, twice-divorced, but incredibly charming Russell Markowitz is all too happy to reenter the Nickerson sisters’ lives. And always-accountable Ava will soon realize just how binding a contract can be…

This arrived on Friday, and thankfully, our UPS man is good about leaving packages on the porch and protected from the elements. I say this because the dogs never barked nor did I ever hear the UPS man arrive that day and, worst yet, it was raining all day long on Friday.

Books from Giveaways & Contests

Shapeshifter: The Demo Tapes (Year 1) by Susan Helene Gottfried

A band’s demo tape is intended to introduce listeners to their music. Likewise, this collection of short pieces allows readers into the fictional world of Trevor Wolff and his band, Shapeshifter.

Originally published online between April 2006 and March 2007, the Demo Tapes: Year 1 brings together the moments that parallel – but never encounter – Susan Helene Gottfried’s debut novel, Trevor’s Song. Arranged chronologically and with introductions to each, this is a must-have volume for anyone who’s ever wanted to hang with a rock band.

A big THANK YOU goes out to owners of Down Under Views who hosted a giveaway where Year 1 or Year 2 (winner’s choice) were both up for prizes. And of course, to the author, Susan Helene Gottfried whose writings I have been stalking online for some time now (and of course) for autographing my copy as well!

Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman have written what is destined to become one of the most provocative and influential books about children of our time. The force and wisdom of these award-winning journalists’ work have been apparent since the publication of their cover story, “The Inverse Power of Praise,” in New York magazine. Literally overnight, parents changed how they talked to children. Schools assigned the article as homework for teachers, while business leaders discussed how it would change the way they rewarded employees. Over w,000 bloggers typed away, while legislators and religious leaders considered how the aritcle could transform the larger society.

But Bronson and Merryman’s insight on praise is just part of the first chapter of NurtureShock. There are nine more equally groundbreaking chapters after that. Among the topics covered:

• Why the most brutal person in a child’s life is often a sibling, and how a single aspect of their preschool-aged play can determine their relationship as adults.
• When is it too soon – or too late – to teach a child about race? Children in diverse schools are less likely to have a cross-racial friendship, not more – so is school diversity backfiring?
• Millions of families are fighting to get their kids into private schools and advanced programs as early as possible. But schools are missing the best kids 73% of the time – the new neuroscience explains why.
• Why are kids – even those from the best of homes – still aggressive and cruel? The answer is found in a rethinking of parental conflict, discipline, television’s unexpected influence, and social dominance.
• Parents are desperate to jump-start infants’ language skills. Recently, scientists have discovered a series of natural techniques that are astonishing in their efficacy – it’s not baby videos, sign language, or even the richness of language exposure. It’s nothing you’ve heard before.

NurtureShock provides a revolutionary new perspective on childhood that upends a library’s worth of conventional wisdom. Nothing like a parenting manual, NurtureShock gets to the core of how we grow, learn, and live.

Guidelines:

• You must provide a working email in the email field of your comment so that I can notify you should you win.
• Books are being shipped directly from the publisher, as such, the contest is only open to residents of the U.S. and Canada and no P.O. Boxes will be accepted.
• Winner will be notified via email and has 72 hours (3 days) to respond with a mailing address. If the winning contestant does not respond after 72 hours a new winner will be drawn.
• Winners will be randomly selected using Random.org
• This giveaway and review are a part of the NurtureShock Blog Tour, of which, several other blogs are also hosting giveaways. Should you win a copy of this book on another blog please be kind enough to remove yourself from this giveaway so that those who have not won a copy may have a chance.

How to Enter

• Comment on this post. (1 entry)
• Comment on my review of NurtureShock for another entry. (1 entry)
• Follow me on Twitter for the duration of the giveaway (1 entry). Be sure to tell me your username in your comment. If you’re already following be sure to let me know as well and you will receive 2 entries instead of 1.
• You may also tweet about this giveaway on Twitter for an additional entry.

Giveaway will run from September 10th until midnight on September 18th. Winners will be drawn on September 19th.

The Symposium is proud to participate in the NurtureShock Blog Tour by hosting a review and giveaway. Be sure to check out the other fine blogs participating in the tour!

Participating Blogs:
Bookin’ With Bingo – Aug. 31 Q&A, review and giveaway
Sage and Savvy – Aug. 31 review and giveaway
Readaholic – Aug. 31 giveaway
MomDotCom.net – Sept. 1 giveaway
Debbie’s World of Books – Sept. 1 giveaway
Starting Fresh – Sept. 1 giveaway
Busy Julie Blog – Sept. 1 review and giveaway
Metroreader: Reading One Mile At a Time – Sept. 2 review and giveaway (audiobook)
Book Soulmates – Sept. 2 giveaway
Bibliophiles ‘R’ Us – Sept. 3 giveaway
Mama Latina Tips – Sept. 4 review and giveaway
Review From Here – Sept. 5
Take Me Away – Sept. 5 Q&A and giveaway
Just Another New Blog – Sept. 5 review and giveaway (audiobook)
Global Arts – Sept. 5 review and giveaway
Reading at the Beach – Sept. 6 Q&A, review, and giveaway (hardcover and audio).
A Journey of Books – Sept. 7 Q&A and giveaway
Blog Business World – Sept. 7 Q&A and review
This Book for Free – Sept. 7 review and giveaway (book and audiobook)
Beth’s Book Review Blog – Sept 7 review; Sept. 8 Q&A and giveaway
A Park Avenue Princess – Sept. 9 review and giveaway
Knit Purl Gurl – Sept. 10 giveaway
The Symposium – Sept. 10 review and giveaway
Today’s Adventure – Sept. 11 review and giveaway
Library Queue – Sept. 11 review.