Monday, August 24, 2009

Review and Giveaway - Dancing With Ana by Nicole Barker



Dancing With Ana by Nicole Barker




rating: 5.0/5.0




Check out my interview with Nicole Barker here.






Book Description:

Beth is a lucky girl…
She comes from a loving family. She has three best friends. She loves to surf and lives five minutes from the beach. She also recently discovered that the boy she’s grown up with has the most amazing green eyes…Beth has every reason to smile. Every reason to be happy. Every reason to feel blessed.
Then why is she sticking her fingers down her throat?

Sixteen year old Beth Baxter’s life merely resembles the one she’s always known. Her father has left. She is falling for Jeremy Duscana and the diet she started has
somehow turned into an obsession. Yet her three best friends remain the same, always there for her.
But even their love can’t save her from herself.


Dancing With Ana. A story about the journey to acceptance of one’s own reality, the incredible bond that exists between friends and a love that truly endures all things.
What can I say about this book. First I read it in one sitting. As in told my DH to wait to go out to eat so I could finish it. I honestly couldn't put it down. Second, I have often said in reviews that the characters feel real in a book. That's how Beth and her friends are in this book. Ms. Barker has the teenagers pegged, nothing sounded contrived, all their actions made sense in the context of them being teenagers. The problems, conflicts, emotions and actions were very typical of teenagers. I also like the fact that she used different types of girls for the four best friends. These aren't your cookie-cutter, all the teenagers are the same, they all four have different backgrounds, different problems and different ways of dealing with teenage life. There is a healthy way and a not healthy way, but none of it seems preachy. The reader just accepts each girl for who and what she is. There is no judgement, just learning about the girls and enjoying watching them grow and learn as teenagers.

I don't know anymore to really say than that - it is an excellent book. It can be read by young adults and older adults just the same, it has something in it for each of us. And it's able to do that while being an entertaining story. I am definitely looking forward to reading Nicole Barker's next book.

Binding: Paperback
On-sale Date: August 1, 2009
Publisher: Golden Road Press, LLC
Pages: 170

Also I would like to give away my copy of this book, which was kindly provided by the author. I will open the contest today through September 7th. US and Canada residents only please. Please enter by:

  1. Commenting on my blog, make sure I have a way to contact you. (+1)
  2. Become a blog follower or let me know if you are already a follower (+1)
  3. Answer this question: What do you consider to be a main issue to teenage girls today? (+1)
  4. Answer this question: What is a good interview question to ask an author? (+1)
  5. Tweet about this review and giveaway, use @cfulcher in the tweet so I can find it (+1/per day)
  6. Follow me on Twitter (or let me know if you are a current follower) (+1)
  7. Blog about this contest and let me know the link (sidebar or post is fine) (+1)
So there you go - 7 ways to get an entry into this contest. You can leave them in separate posts or one post, it doesn't matter, I will make sure you get your entries, just make sure to let me know what you do.

Other reviews (if you have a review up on this book, let me know and I will link to it):
Kay's Bookshelf
Bloody Bad
A Few Minutes with Michael
Merry Weather
The Maiden's Court
Tales of a Book Addict
Melody's Reading Corner
Crazy for Books
Barney's Book Blog

26 comments:

Marjorie/cenya2 said...

I would love to win this book, I am a follower.
Anoxeria reared its ugly head
in my family and you would not
believe the chaos it causes.

cenya2 at hotmail dot com

cqueen2 said...

sounds good..
+1 follower

thanks

wadesherry@hotmail dot com

carol said...

It sounds like a great story. Anoxeria is so so senseless and tragic.

carol said...

I think girls today think too much about the way they look and now at how they are as a person inside.

carol said...

I would ask the author what gave her the idea for this story

Anonymous said...

Please enter my name in your draw.
Thanks.
wandanamgreb (at) gmail (dot) com

Anonymous said...

I am a follower of your blog.
wandanamgreb (at) gmail (dot) com

Lee P said...

I'd love to read this book! Thanks for this giveaway and please count me in.

chinook92(at)gmail(dot)com

Lee P said...

I already follow your blog.

chinook92(at)gmail(dot)com

Lee P said...

I think a main issue for today's girls is not enough exercise. With Facebook, cellphones, etc. they sit down to do their socializing. What ever happened to going out? Thanks for this giveaway and please count me in.

chinook92(at)gmail(dot)com

Lee P said...

Tweet:

http://twitter.com/chinook92/status/3562891625

chinook92(at)gmail(dot)com

roxxyroller said...

When we were young, there was no such thing as computers or video games, no cell phones, nothing to that extent. We had to go outside and play and make our own fun, whatever that entailed, but we always had fun! The problem with teenagers today is that everything is handed to most of them without having to earn their own money to but it, and really having to know the true meaning of 'work'.

roxxyroller(at)hotmail(dot)com

roxxyroller said...

I follow you on Twitter! (roxxyroller,coolcanucks)
roxxyroller(at)hotmail(dot)com

roxxyroller said...

Your blog is awesome!
I would love to win this, please enter me in the giveaway, thanks!

roxxyroller(at)hotmail(dot)com

roxxyroller said...

I subscribe via email!
roxxyroller(at)hotmail(dot)com

roxxyroller said...

I follow your blog!
roxxyroller(at)hotmail(dot)com

roxxyroller said...

A question to ask an Author would be "Do you use real-life facts based on true stories?"

roxxyroller(at)hotmail(dot)com

roxxyroller said...

I would love to win this, please enter me in the giveaway, thanks!
roxxyroller(at)hotmail(dot)com

roxxyroller said...

I tweeted this fabulous giveaway!
http://twitter.com/coolcanucks/status/3569246922

roxxyroller(at)hotmail(dot)com

Rebecca N. said...

This sounds like a really good read! I would love to be entered to win this one! Thanks for the great giveaway!

imsosweepy { at } gmail { dot } com

Rebecca N. said...

I follow your blog!

imsosweepy { at } gmail { dot } com

Rebecca N. said...

I think a main issue today is teenage girls trying to look more grownup than they are and dressing in clothing that degrades them by revealing wayyyy too much of what should be kept private and special for that certain someone one day...

imsosweepy { at } gmail { dot } com

Rebecca N. said...

I tweeted!

http://twitter.com/Sparkleglow/status/3682412377

imsosweepy { at } gmail { dot } com

Rebecca N. said...

I follow you on twitter!

Thanks for your awesome blog and all of your generous giveaways :))

imsosweepy { at } gmail { dot } com

Belinda M said...

tweeted

http://twitter.com/Prairiebelle/status/3799320964


Canadian Contests, Freebies, Coupons, Deals, Games and Chat - join us at http://forum.coolcanucks.ca/


bluebelle0367(at)hotmail(dot)com

~The Book Pixie said...

This books sounds amazing!

+1 comment w/ email
+1 follower
+1 peer pressure is a huge problem among teens.
+1 When did you first discover you wanted to be a writer?
+1 follow on twitter (@thebookpixie)

~Briana :D
thebookpixie[at]yahoo[dot]com

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