Mailbox Monday - July 20th

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. To see this weeks list of participants go here.

Note here - it's been two-three weeks since I have posted so a lot of these books have been received over that time, not just in the last week.

ARC/Review Copies of:

Benny & Shrimp by Kate Mazetti from FSB Associates - looks like a very good book - it's already out and I'm looking forward to reading it.

A Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi - received from the author - it's a signed ARC and it looks like a great psychological thrilller which is one of my favorite genres. It came out in June 2009.

The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan - ARC due out in September - I'm exploring the historical fiction genre lately and this looks like a good addition.

The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt - I believe I requested this through Shelf Awareness. This is another foray into historical fiction and I'm excited to read it.

The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny - I actually received two copies of this ARC and I'm giving one away so check out my sidebar for the link. This will be my first adventure in the Inspector Gamache series but I have heard wonderful things about the author and the series so I can't wait to read it. It comes out in October 2009.

The Rapture by Liz Jensen - From the publisher, this comes out in August - I think this quick blurb on the back says it all:

Girl, Interrupted meets The Dead Zone in this utterly compelling drama about a paranoia that starts inside one murderously insane teenage girl's head and then grows to encompass the whole world.

The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf from Mira Books - this comes out in August.

South of Broad by Pat Conroy - I'm so excited about this one. It comes out in September and I have been anxiously awaiting this one.

Contest Wins:

Bad Mother - A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities and Occasional Moments of Grace by Ayelet Waldman - received from Stacy at Book Bitch Blog

Breaking Up is Hard To Do by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt - from Sally at Book Critiques blog

Right on the Money by Pat Robertson on audio from J. Kaye's Book Blog

A Summer Affair by Elin Hildenbrand from Dar at Peeking Between the Pages

So it looks like I will be busy for quite awhile - now to get fully out of my reading slump.

August Reading Challenge

I have joined a new book challenge. It is called the "August Reading Challenge" and it's hosted by Pizza's Book Discussion. At the start of August, Pizza's Book Discussion will hold a contest to see who reads the most books in August.

The winner will not receive a prize but will win an award to put on the side of their blog, which will be posted at the end of August.

After a lackluster July (I haven't finished a book yet), I am hoping that this is just the jumpstart that I need.

I will be posting my books as I read them here in this post.

1. 
   

Review and Giveaway - Any Minute by Joyce Meyer and Deborah Bedford

Any Minute by Joyce Meyer and Deborah Bedford





rating: 4.5/5.0






From Amazon.com:

Sarah Harper is driven to achieve success no matter what the cost. She wants to do good and not hurt the people she loves--especially children and her husband, Joe--but her desire to succeed in her career too often leaves little time for family.

One cold, autumn afternoon, all of that changes when Sarah's car plunges off a bridge and into a river. She is presumed dead by those on the "outside," but Sarah's spirit is still very much alive.

What she discovers on the other side transforms everything about Sarah's view of life--past, present, and future.

When Sarah is revived, she is a changed woman. And the unsuspecting world around her will never be the same again.

I was very excited about this book, I read Deborah Bedford a few months back and enjoyed the real feeling and characterization she puts into her fiction. I have also heard wonderful things about Joyce Meyer but have never read her.

I was not let down at all. This book takes a real look at a woman who wants it all, perfect husband, perfect children, perfect house and perfect job. But as most of us women know it's very hard to have it all. To Sarah, work is what is most important at the moment. They need the money she makes to live the lifestyle they have created and to give Mitchell and baby Kate all they need. Joe has recently followed his dream of owning his own business and doesn't make the money he used to so it all falls on Sarah's shoulders (or so she thinks).

This book seems so real - if you work outside the home and even if you don't you can see a little or a lot of yourself in Sarah. So when she has her lifechanging moment, you really start to think about your own life.

Though the novel is real - it is not depressing so don't worry about that. It just gives you a lot to think about and a lot to be thankful for. I truly enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more books like this.

Binding: Hardcover
On-sale Date: June 30, 2009
Publisher: Faithwords
Pages: 304

Miriam Parker has generously offered 1 copy of this book to giveaway to a reader of my blog. I will open the contest today through Friday July 31st. The giveaway is open to the US and Canada only. 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. Tell me any other Joyce Meyer or Deborah Bedford books you have read and enjoyed (+1)
4. Tweet about this review and giveaway, use @cfulcher in the tweet so I can find it (+1)
5. Follow me on Twitter (or let me know if you are a current follower) (+1)
6. Blog about this contest and let me know the link (sidebar or post is fine) (+1)

So there you go - 6 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.

Links to Other Reviews of Any Minute:

Books, Movies and Chinese Food

Giveaway: The Brutal Telling ARC by Louise Penny

I have received an extra ARC of The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny and would love to send it to one of my readers. This book will out in hardback on October 1, 2009. I haven't read it yet, but it sounds very interesting and I am looking forward to reading and reviewing it.

Here's what Tara Cibelli the Marketing Manager had to say in the included letter:

Chaos is coming to the lovely, seemingly tranquil town of Three Pines, just over the Canadian border. It begins to show its face one morning when a murdered man is found lying on the old pine floor of the beloved bistro and antiques store run by Olivier and his partner, Gabri. No one has ever seen the man before--or admits to having seen him--until a mysterious cabin, filled with priceless treasures, is uncovered deep in the woods. Clearly the hermit must have lived there and died there, and someone has been bringing him fresh groceries--in exchange for what? And just how did Olivier make such a spectacular success of his antiques business?

Chief Inspector Gamache and his team are called in, and much as they personally like the man who has hosted so many wonderful meals, they must ask the uncomfortable questions. Meanwhile, the cabin yields up extraordinary pieces of evidence--from signed first editions of Charlotte's Web and Jane Eyre to a spider web with the word "WOE" in it--that will send Gamache to the remote Queen Charlotte ISlands in search of the hermit's secrets, then back to Three Pines to confront the brutal truth.

This giveaway is open to the US and Canada only. It will go through July 31, 2009. 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. Tell me if you have read Louise Penny before and what you thought of her (+1)
4. Tweet about this review and giveaway, use @cfulcher in the tweet so I can find it (+1)
5. Follow me on Twitter (or let me know if you are a current follower) (+1)
6. Blog about this contest and let me know the link (sidebar or post is fine) (+1)

So there you go - 6 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.

Giveaway Winners

Hi all - so sorry for the delay in announcing winners. I had surgery on the 26th of June, came home, felt fine and then all of a sudden felt horrible and was stuck in bed not feeling like doing anything. Found out I had an infection, started antibiotics and started feeling better. I'm now just experiencing the pain you expect to have after surgery and trying to build my strength up.

So for the giveaways - I had two giveaways that ended during my absence, so without further ado, here are the winners:

The winner of Ms. Taken Identity by Dan Begley is:

Mary

Mary has been contacted and when I receive her mailing address I will forward it to the generous Miriam Parker who made this giveaway possible.






The winner of The Texas Billionaire's Bride by Crystal Green is:

Lee

Lee has been contacted and as soon as I receive the mailing address I will forward it to Crystal Green who made this giveaway possible.







Thanks for all the entries, more contests coming soon!

Short Blog Hiatus

Hi everyone, just wanted to let you know I haven't been ignoring the blog. I have had some setbacks after surgery and can't seem to spend too much time up and about everyday. Recovery just hasn't gone the way that I thought it would. Most days I don't even feel like reading (gasp with horror). So my blog is suffering. I am hoping all this will pass quickly and my recovery will be back to normal and I will be back to my blog.

For those waiting on contest wins and contest results. I will get to these as soon as possible. I can't go out of the house at the moment to mail and just can't sit up long to process the giveaway posts.

The wins will come though. I hope everyone understands.

Crystal

June Summary

In June, I read 20 books. It breaks down like this:

• 2 from the library
• 11 were from authors/publishers for review
• 2 were from my TBR mountain
  
• 4 from booksfree
• 1 from audible
  

• 13 were books (the kind you hold - paperback/hardback/trade)
• 6 were ARCs
• 1 was an audiobook

The books I read were:

1. Missing Pieces by Joy Fielding (library) - Review
   
2. A Morning Like This by Deborah Bedford - (review) - Review
   
3. I Like It Like That by Cecily Von Ziegesar (booksfree)
   
4. Flirting with Temptation by Kelley St. John (mine) - Review
   
5. The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale (review) - Review
6. You're the One that I Want by Cecily Von Ziegesar (booksfree)
   
7. Once Smitten, Twice Shy by Lori Wilde (mine) - Review
8. Fragment by Warren Fahy (review) - Review
9. The Disappearance of Irene Dos Santos by Margaret Mascarenhas (review) - Review
10. The Texas Billionaire's Bride by Crystal Green (review) - Review - Author Interview
11. The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner (review) - Review
12. Avalon High by Meg Cabot (library) - Review
13. Ms. Taken Identity by Dan Begley (review) - Review
14. Wake by Lisa McMann (booksfree) - Review
15. Nobody Does It Better by Cecily Von Ziegesar (booksfree) - Review
16. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris (audiobook)
    
17. Gifts of War by Mackenzie Ford (review)
    
18. Swimsuit by James Patterson (review) - Review
19. All That Glitters by Nicole O'Dell (review)
    
20. Any Minute by Joyce Meyer and Deborah Bedford (review)
    

Another great reading month and a pretty good review month. I have a few to catch up on, but I'm doing better at getting the books reviewed.

I also held 8 giveaways this month (2 are still going on) and that was a lot of fun too. I love being able to share my books with others.

So what did you read this month? Was it a good month for you?