Happy 4th Blogoversary!

It's my Blogoversary! 4 years ago today I put text to virtual paper and created Chick with Books Blog!

During the past 4 years, Harry Potter flew from across the pond and landed, Twilight became a sensation and not just a time of day, We found out there were fifty shades of gray, and liked them …

We saw the eReader become a reality, Borders said goodbye, We learned to tweet (not twerk), found Facebook was more than a place to put your face, and learned to pin on Pinterest…

We traveled far & wide (and even time traveled), fell in love with many a hero including a few in kilts, and revisited some classics including a visit to a pig named Wilbur and his spidery friend Charlotte…

We saw writers getting published, and banned, and we read many great books. I've met many great people blogging here, and I want to thank you all for making Chick with Books the blog that it is today! You came here to read about books and bookish things, you shared your likes, dislikes and part of yourselves. You commented, lurked and tweeted. Thank you for it all! And as a thank you, here's another Blogoversary Giveaway!

I've read & reviewed a lot of books on Chick with Books, so I thought it would be fun if I gave away one of the books I've read & reviewed. ANY one of the books I've actually read and reviewed in the past 4 years! (not just blurbed about, but actually read & reviewed)  So, here's the giveaway…

Happy 4th Blogoversary Giveaway #2…

Take a look through all the books I've read & reviewed over the past 4 years and pick one out. The post will say "… a Review". This giveaway is for a paperback of any one of the books I've read & reviewed (not just blurbed about but actually reviewed). If you prefer a ebook version, that's ok too. If the book isn't out in paperback yet, you'll get a hardback. And if for some reason the book isn't available any longer, you can pick another book. Sounds simple enough? I hope so!

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY… YOU MUST LEAVE A COMMENT (a post comment) AND in your comment along with your email, just let me know what book you'd like. And here's something new I'm going to try- Rafflecopter. A lot of bloggers use Rafflecopter for their giveaways, and I thought I would give it a try. (Not as part of the giveaway, but let me know if you like using Rafflecopter).




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Love & War Audiobook Giveaway!

They seemed the most unlikeliest of couples. 

Two political powerhouses from opposite sites of the floor who simply fell in love…. 

And... It's An Audiobook GIVEAWAY!

Love & War: Twenty Years, Three Presidents, Two Daughters and One Louisiana Home by Mary Matalin and James Carville is not what you'd expect and then again everything you'd expect. I have always been fascinated by the romance of this couple. How can such political powerhouses and adversaries find love between campaigning? I never thought that their relationship was created for publicity, but it seems that enough people did think that and have asked that question point blank to them. And that's what makes this tale of love and politics so interesting, because even though the media made such a big deal out of their romance, it wasn't a big deal. It was just a working class girl from Chicago and a boy from Louisiana falling in love and raising a family in the craziness of Washington, DC and then taking a step back and making lives for themselves outside the fray and dealing with the fray. Both Mary Matalin and James Carville are smart, savvy political engineers, but that's just one of the wonderful things about their relationship- they knew how to run a campaign, love politics and they could relate to what the other was doing. Political opposites, but that's what makes life interesting. Their life together is as normal as any husband and wife raising a family, buying a house, going to work every day but also filled with some people and places that we as readers have become familiar with if we've payed attention to anything happening to our country in the past 15 years. BUT, this is NOT a book on politics!

I listened to this audio book of Love & War and loved it! Read by Mary Matalin and James Carville, it's almost as if they are speaking to us directly about what's going on in their lives and what had been going on in their lives. They individually answer those questions about getting along, raising children, dealing with being "well known" and trying to live a normal life at the same time, and basically giving us a peek into their lives. Yes, they do talk about their jobs, but it's really not about that. It's about marriage, children and dealing with everything that goes along: Falling in love, staying in love, giving birth, ADHD, buying that first house, going to school, having a job, friends, and keeping your sanity in a Washington DC existence. This book lets you see beyond what you may have thought about Mary and James (individually and as a couple), and find common ground in your own life. Listening to Mary read and then James read what seems to be his "view" of the topic was fun. They both have great voices in respect to audiobooks, and they read wonderfully.

The audiobook of Love & War is unabridged, 9 CD's and 10.5 hours. Thanks to Random House Audio I received a review copy of this! Thanks Random House! AND thanks to Random House Audio I have a copy of this audiobook to GIVE AWAY! It's part of my week long Blogoversary Celebration! I've always talked about Memoirs on Chick with Books and this one really captured my attention. Here's how to enter…

To Enter this giveaway…

*For one entry leave me a comment with your email address!

*Get an extra entry for following my blog! Just let me know you're a follower when you leave your comment! ( Not a follower yet? No problem, sign up by clicking on the 'followers" button on the sidebar to the left by Google Friends Connect or Google +! Just let me know you became a new follower!)

*Blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link for one more entry.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only. Contest ends 11:59pm EST on Feb. 24th. I will randomly pick the winner the next day and email you! (please check your email.. winner must reply to me within 3 days! Thanks!) Good Luck!

Let's Celebrate Historical Fiction... and wrap up the One Year Blogoversary Celebration with the final Giveaway BUNDLE!

Let's Celebrate Historical Fiction!...

with the final Blogoversary Giveaway!

And the Lucky Winner is... Diane! Congrats! Thank you to EVERYONE who joined in on the fun by entering, blogging and tweeting!

I love historical fiction! The blending of fact and fiction in the hands of a talented writer can transport us to a time and place we may be familiar with on the surface, but the added story makes it all come alive. It's been a wonderful week of celebrations, and I'm ending the festivities with a fantastic Historical Fiction Bundle giveaway sponsored by G.P. Putnam's Sons! G.P. Putnam's Sons is a division of Penguin Group USA & is the industry's #1 New York Times bestselling hardcover imprint, a position it has held for more than two decades! The above photograph from Lydia's desk at Putnam shows the wonderful treat in store for one lucky winner! The bundle includes one ARC (advanced readers copy) of The Creation of Eve by Lynn Cullen, one ARC of The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees, and one finished hard cover copy of The Postmistress by Sarah Blake! Before we get to how to enter, let's read a little about the books in the giveaway...

The Creation of Eve by Lynn Cullen... A lush and compelling tale of royal intrigue and artistic longing, set in the sixteenth–century Spanish court. The Creation of Eve is based on the true but little-known story of Sofonisba Anguissola, the first renowned female portraitist of the Renaissance. After a scandal in Michelangelo’s workshop, Sofonisba flees Italy and joins the Spanish court of King Felipe II to be a lady-in-waiting to his young bride. Sofonisba befriends the queen, only to become embroiled in a love triangle involving the queen, the king, and the king’s illegitimate half brother, Don Juan. The Creation of Eve combines art, romance, and history from the golden age in Spain in a story that asks the question: Can you ever truly know another person’s heart? You can read the first chapter at Lynn Cullen's website! Plus you can find a readers guide and other interesting links there.

The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees... In her debut novel Kelly O’Connor McNees deftly mixes fact and fiction as she imagines a summer lost to history, carefully purged from Louisa’s letters and journals, a summer that would change the course of Louisa’s writing career—and inspire the story of love and heartbreak between Jo and Teddy “Laurie” Laurence, Jo’s devoted neighbor and kindred spirit. You can read more about the book and author at Kelly O'Connor McNees website!

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake... What would happen if a postmistress chose not to deliver the mail? It is 1940. While the war is raging in Europe, President Roosevelt promises he won't send American boys over to fight. Iris James is the postmistress of Franklin, Massachusetts a small town at the end of Cape Cod. She firmly believes her job is to deliver and keep people's secrets, to pass along the news of love and sorrow that letters carry. Faithfully she stamps and sends the letters between people such as the newlyweds Emma and Will Fitch, who has gone to London to help out during the Blitz. But one day she slips a letter into her pocket, and leaves it there. You can read more about the book and the first chapter at Sarah Blake's website!

One lucky will win these this great bundle of historical fiction books! Thanks Lydia of G.P.Putnam Sons for joining in on the festivities! So, Here's How to Enter...

*First, You MUST be a Follower to enter this particular giveaway! Not a follower yet? No problem, sign up by clicking on the 'followers" button on the sidebar to the left! Just let me know you became a new follower! And everyone who was following Chick with Books prior to today, will get an extra entry!

*Leave me a comment with your email address.

*Blog or Tweet about this giveaway and leave me a link to get another entry!

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only (No PO boxes). The books will be shipped to the winners directly from the publisher. Contest ends 11:59pm EST on March 5th. I will randomly pick the winner the next day and email them! (please check your emails!) Good Luck!

Love Your Kindle? How about a $15 Kindle Gift Certificate Giveaway?

The Kindle 2 Made a Splash this year at Chick with Books!

Love my Kindle, How about You?!

How about a $15 Kindle Gift Certificate to Celebrate my Blogoversary!?

And the Winner is... Alyce! Congrats!! Thank you to EVERYone who joined the fun, tweeted and blogged about the giveaway!

Early last May, I posted a question... "Is Bigger Better?" referring to the Kindle DX. I had recently bought a Kindle 2 and a discussion followed about things to love about the Kindle and why we'd buy one. I have definitely fallen for my Kindle! Even though I still like the feel of the pages between my fingers, my Kindle has a special place in my heart. I love being able to slip my Kindle in my purse or tote and take a whole bunch of books, newspapers & PDF's along with me in such a nice little package... This year I added links to the Kindle version of all the books I reviewed and recommended, we talked about Kindle book bargains, a Kindle friendly book rest, how the Kindle had some competition with The Nook, and Amazon announces Kindle for PC. This year I "met" (virtually that is) Len Edgerly the host of the friday night podcast The Kindle Chronicles & he interviewed me about my affair with the Kindle and if it conflicted with my love for the printed page! That interview was episode 52 of the Kindle Chronicles and you can follow the link to listen to us chat. It was so much fun! This year also was the year Chick with Books became available ON the Kindle! You can actually subscribe to Chick with Books thru Amazon and get all the posts updated & delivered automatically on your Kindle! So to celebrate my blogoversary AND my Kindle readers, I'm giving away a $15 Kindle Gift Certificate! Choose a Kindle Book on me! Here's how to enter...

To Enter this giveaway...

*For one entry leave me a comment with your email address!

*Get an extra entry for following my blog! Just leave a comment letting me know you're a follower! ( Not a follower yet? No problem, sign up by clicking on the 'followers" button on the sidebar to the right! Just let me know you became a new follower!)

*Blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link.

This Giveaway is open to US residents only (due to Amazon.com legal stuff). This giveaway will end March 4th, 2010 11:59 EST! I will randomly pick the winner and email them! Good luck!

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much Gives us a Reason to Celebrate! It's Another Blogoversary Giveaway!

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much Gives us a Reason to Celebrate!

It's Another Blogoversary Giveaway!

And the Winner is... Nunah! Congrats! Thank you to EVERYONE who joined in on the fun!

Rob of Books are Like Candy Corn, who just missed the deadline for entering the giveaway, found a great bargain for this book for everyone who didn't win the giveaway! Paperback Swap , which is a book swap site, is now selling new overstocked books and had The Man Who Loved Books Too Much for $6.49! Thanks Rob for letting us all know! You can follow the links above right to the site!

Back in September Lydia of Riverhead Books sent me a "book lovers" book in the mail called The Man Who Loved Books Too Much:The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession by Allison Hoover Bartlett. Allison is a great writer and the story of John Gilkey, a man who stole books for the pure love of the books, was so interesting! We had a lot of fun on the blog too, commenting on what books we would "steal" if we were a book thief! Here's what I wrote about the book...

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession by Allison Hoover Bartlett is an adventure for all of us who love books! For those of us who love not just what's inside them, but the heft of them in our hands, the sensation of the texture of the pages as we turn them, the beauty of the book itself...

This story takes us into the lives of John Gilkey, an obsessed & bold book thief, Ken Sanders the man who made it his mission to catch Gilkey, and the journalist and author, Allison Hoover Bartlett, who explores the world of rare & beautiful books with the people who sell & collect them, including Sanders AND Gilkey.

In the opening of the book, a 400 yr. old book called a Kreuterbuch sits on Allison Hoover Bartlett's desk. I love old books, and just the way Allison described the Kreuterbuch in the prologue, "the pages, when turned, make a muffled crack... a dry woody smell..." I knew this would be a different kind of 'book thief' story. A book written by a person who truly appreciates & enjoys books - and not just for what's inside!

You can read the Full Review at the Sept. 9th post! And you can read the full list of books we'd steal at the Sept. 18th post! Some of those included:

* A Soldier of The Great War by Mark Helprin

* A First Edition of Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner

* A First Edition of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (Jane was a popular girl, mentioned a few times!)

* A Handwritten draft by Jane Austen

* A First Edition of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

* a first edition of Paradise Lost by John Milton

Riverhead Books joins the Celebration by sponsoring a giveaway for a copy of The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett! Riverhead Books has been dedicated to publishing extraordinary ground-breaking, unique fiction & non-fiction writers. Thanks Lydia and Riverhead Books for joining in on the festivities! If you love books, and you haven't read this book, YOU SHOULD! And here's your opportunity to win a copy! Here's how to enter...

*For One Entry, leave me a comment with your email address!

*For One more entry, Blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link.

*For a Bonus entry, tell me what book you would steal if you were a thief! (we all love books, so don't be shy!)

This giveaway is open to U.S. & Canadian residents only.(No PO boxes). The book will be shipped to the winner directly from the publishers. Contest ends 11:59pm EST on March 2nd, 2010. I will randomly pick the winners the next day and email them! Good Luck!

The Sunday Salon... The Blogoversary Celebration continues with a BIG ROMANCE GIVEAWAY!

And the Romance Bundle Giveaway Winner is...

throuthehaze

Congrats on winning a fabulous bundle of books! And THANK YOU to EVERYONE who joined in on the fun by Following, Tweeting & Blogging about the Giveaway!

It has been some week here on the east coast with amazing amounts of snow and ice at the beginning of the week and by yesterday the temperatures were back up in the 40's. There's more snow to come and hopefully spring will be right around the corner from there! So what do you do when you're snowbound?! Curling up with a good book sounds good doesn't it?! How about some sizzling romances?!

The Blogoversary Celebration continues! I want to thank everyone who has stopped by here and sent along their congratulations for my first blogging year! It really means so much to read everyone's good wishes! I hope you are all enjoying the giveaways! Don't be shy - Enter them ALL!! There will be a giveaway-a-day until Thursday!

The Celebration continues today with a BIG Romance Giveaway! Something to warm you up during these cold winter days! Pocket Books and Simon & Schuster joins in on the celebration by sponsoring an amazing BUNDLE of romance paperbacks! We're talking about a bundle of FIVE romances by some of today's hottest romance writers! And one lucky person is going to win them all! This is a special giveaway for Chick with Books Follower's! Before we get to how to enter, let's read a little about the books in the giveaway...

Lavender Morning by Jude Deveraux... Jocelyn Minton is a woman torn between two worlds. Her mother grew up attending private schools and afternoon teas, but she married the local handyman. After her mother died when Joce was only five years old, her father remarried into his own class, and Joce became an outsider -- until she met Edilean Harcourt. Although she was sixty years Joce's senior, Miss Edi was a kindred soul who understood her like no one else ever had.

When Miss Edi passes away, she leaves Joce all her worldly possessions, including an eighteenth-century house and a letter with clues to a mystery that began in 1941. In the letter, Miss Edi also mentions that she has found the perfect man for Joce -- a handsome young lawyer. Joce is shocked to learn that the mystery, the house, and the future love of her life are all in Edilean, a small town in Virginia that Miss Edi never told her about. You can read more about Jude Deveraux and Lavender Morning at Simon & Schuster. You can also listen to an excerpt from the audiobook there!

A Highlander's Destiny by Melissa Mayhue... When the worlds of Mortal and Fae collide, the magic of true love is put to the test.

JESSE CORYELL is a man adrift in life, searching for his destiny. He doesn't trust women; too many have chased him for his money and power. He's tried to lose himself in his work, taking on the worst mankind has to offer, but as a Guardian and Fae descendent, what he really needs is to find his true love. When he sets out to help a mysterious woman find her sister, what he gets is much more than he bargained for, battling an undeniable attraction to his sexy new client while fighting to save her life and rescue her sister. Learn more about Melissa Mayhue and A Highlander's Destiny at Melissa Mayhue's website! You can also read an excerpt of A Highlander's Destiny there!

The Truth About Lord Stoneville by Sabrina Jeffries... The oldest of the scandalous Sharpes—five hell-raising siblings tainted still by the gossip surrounding the “accidental” deaths of their parents two decades ago-—Oliver Sharpe, the Marquess of Stoneville, like his brothers and sisters, has lived life on his own terms. In his case, as an unrepentant rakehell. Or so life had played out until Grandmother Hetty got a bee in her bonnet. Now the five Sharpe siblings face a daunting ultimatum: Marry by year’s end—or kiss their inheritance good-bye.

Oliver vows to fulfill the bargain in true Sharpe style—by bringing home a fake fiancé from a brothel! But his scheme backfires when he foils a robbery and rescues an American beauty instead. Maria Butterfield came to London to find her missing fiancé, but her prior engagement won’t stop Oliver from getting what he wants: Maria in his bed. His rebellious charade may just call Hetty’s bluff, but not before it become all too real—stirring up a love that tempts him to be a hellion no more. Learn more about Sabrina Jeffries and The Truth About Lord Stoneville at Sabrina Jeffries website. You can read an excerpt there too!

The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet by Colleen McCullough... Everyone knows the story of Elizabeth and Jane Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. But what about their sister Mary? At the conclusion of Jane Austen's classic novel, Mary, bookish, awkward, and by all accounts, unmarriageable, is sentenced to a dull, provincial existence in the backwaters of Britain. Now, master storyteller Colleen McCullough rescues Mary from her dreary fate with The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet, a page-turning sequel set twenty years after Austen's novel closes. The story begins as the neglected Bennet sister is released from the stultifying duty of caring for her insufferable mother. Though many would call a woman of Mary's age a spinster, she has blossomed into a beauty to rival that of her famed sisters. Her violet eyes and perfect figure bewitch the eligible men in the neighborhood, but though her family urges her to marry, romance and frippery hold no attraction. Instead, she is determined to set off on an adventure of her own. Fired with zeal by the newspaper letters of the mysterious Argus, she resolves to publish a book about the plight of England's poor. Plunging from one predicament into another, Mary finds herself stumbling closer to long-buried secrets, unanticipated dangers, and unlooked-for romance. Read more about The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet at Simon & Schuster. And while you're there you can browse through the book too!

Bound by Your Touch by Meredith Duran... Silver-tongued Viscount Sanburne is London's favorite scapegrace. Alas, Lydia Boyce has no interest in being charmed. When his latest escapade exposes a plot to ruin her family, she vows to handle it herself, as she always has done. Certainly she requires no help from a too-handsome dilettante whose main achievement is being scandalous. But Sanburne's golden charisma masks a sharper mind and darker history than she realizes. He shocks Lydia by breaking past her prim facade to the woman beneath...and the hidden fire no man has ever recognized. But as she follows him into a world of intrigue, she will learn that the greatest danger lies within -- in the shadowy, secret motives of his heart. You can learn more about Meredith Duran AND read an excerpt of Bound by Your Touch at Meredith Duran's website!

One lucky person will win one paperback copy of each of the above romances! A Big Thank You to Sarah of Pocket Books and Simon & Schuster for joining in on the festivities! So, here's how to enter...

*First, You MUST be a Follower to enter this particular giveaway! Not a follower yet? No problem, sign up by clicking on the 'followers" button on the sidebar to the left! Just let me know you became a new follower! And everyone who was following Chick with Books prior to today, will get an extra entry!

*Leave me a comment with your email address.

*Blog or Tweet about this giveaway and leave me a link to get another entry!

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only (No PO boxes). The books will be shipped to the winners directly from the publisher. Contest ends 11:59pm EST on Feb. 28th. I will randomly pick the winner the next day and email them! (please check your emails!) Good Luck! And have fun!!

Next sunday, the Sunday Salon will be back with Books with Buzz...

A Story of Love, Loss, Sacrifice & Obsession... AND another Great Giveaway for Chick with Books Blogoversary Celebration Day 3!

A Story of Love, Loss, Sacrifice and Obsession...

AND another great Giveaway for Chick with Books Blogoversary Celebration...

And the winner is... Helen of California! Congrats to Helen! And Thank you to EVERYONE who Entered, Tweeted and Blogged about the Giveaway!

Last summer there was a lot of buzz about a new author by the name of Emily St. John Mandel. Her debut novel was called Last Night in Montreal. I was in for a big treat because Caitlin of Unbridled Books sent a copy my way to read! The characters were so rich, and I was immediately drawn into the story. It was hypnotizing... It was like a jigsaw puzzle of people and places... and it was wonderful! Here's what I wrote about Last Night in Montreal when I reviewed it last July...

In the opening line of the book we read “ No one stays forever” and with this we begin unraveling the mystery behind Lilia... We first meet Lilia casually walking out the door of her apartment going for the paper never to return. She leaves behind Eli, who starts to notice the time and wonders where she is... then desperately realizes that she’s gone... her only mark on the apartment they share, a polaroid photograph of her when she was twelve, neatly removed from above the headboard.... From here we are thrown into Lilia’s life before Eli, as she was growing

up, constantly on the move with her father, changing names & identities, moving from state to state on an adventure of a lifetime, starting with a early morning ‘abduction’ in a snowy driveway, from a home she had known for 7 years into the arms of a recognizable stranger, bandages on her arms...

In a refreshing style, Emily St. John Mandel moves from present to past (and back again) from chapter to chapter with incredible continuity. Writing the story moving back and forth in time kept my attention. And made it so interesting! How parts of stories lead into other stories was amazing sometimes. The bits of information that were dropped like crumbs thru the story made me keep turning those pages to learn more. There are really 3 stories here, the story of young Lilia’s abduction and wanderings, the story of the detective who sacrifices his life looking for her, and the story of how everything in the past connects to the present day and how it all comes together in the end. The story rushes forward until the present and the past collide in Montreal....

With rich characters that are so human, so believable, so sad, I was drawn into their story. Their histories well developed. The writing done well. A story of love, loss, sacrifice and obsession. The story is moving. I recommend you pick it up and read it! You will enjoy it! (You can read the complete review to learn more about the book)

Unbridled Books joins the celebration by sponsoring a great giveaway for a copy of Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel for a U.S. reader of Chick with Books! Unbridled Books is dedicated to publishing high-quality works that are moving, beautiful, and surprising. Their name, Unbridled Books, was chosen to represent a publishing venture that is both energetic and independent. Thanks Caitlin and Unbridled Books for joining in on the festivities! Here's how to enter...

*For One Entry, leave me a comment with your email address!

*For One more entry, Blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link.

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.(No PO boxes). The book will be shipped to the winner directly from the publishers. Contest ends 11:59pm EST on Feb.27th, 2010. I will randomly pick the winners the next day and email them! Good Luck!

*P.S. Emily St. John Mandel's next novel is coming out this summer! More about that soon...

Chick with Books Celebrates its First Year!

It's My First Blogoversary!

And Our Winner is.... Cheryl! Congratulations Cheryl! Thank you to EVERYONE who sent their One Year Blogoversary Congrats to me! And for joining in on the beginning of the Blogoversary fun!

One year ago today I began Chick with Books Blog with the idea of being able to chat about one of my passions- reading! With 207 posts there's certainly been a lot of buzz on my blog! It's been a fun year! Thanks to YOU the blog has grown leaps and bounds! So, let's start celebrating! For the next week there will be some HOT giveaways courtesy of some great publishers and publicists! There will be a little romance, some historical fiction, and even something 'sinful'. And I'll be giving away some of my favorite reads from this year too! Let's start at the beginning though...

My very first post was a review for Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. It still remains one of my favorite books of all time! Here's what I wrote in that review...

"A wonderful story with all the elements! Adventure, treachery, art, love, sex and superstition. What starts as a story of Tom Builder and his love of family & craft, grows into the tale of the assasination and sainthood of Thomas Becket. The characters are so real they almost walk out of the pages! So, get ready to experience the building of a magnificent cathedral, the world of 12th-century England and a cast of characters you simply will not forget. You will not be able to put this book down once you open it. You'll wish there were 900 more pages!"

Have you read it yet? If you haven't read it yet, YOU SHOULD! So, here's your opportunity! I'm giving away a copy of Pillars of the Earth! This giveaway is open to EVERYone (that means INTERNATIONAL)! If I can send a book to you through the mail, you are eligible to enter! Here's how to enter...

To Enter this giveaway...

*For one entry leave me a comment with your email address!

*Get an extra entry for following my blog! Just leave a comment letting me know you're a follower! ( Not a follower yet? No problem, sign up by clicking on the 'followers" button on the sidebar to the right! Just let me know you became a new follower!)

*Blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link.

This giveaway will end Feb. 25th, 2010 11:59 EST! I will randomly pick the winner and email them! Good luck!

The Sunday Salon... Something is lurking around the corner... My Blogoversary!!

Good Morning Everyone! Normally my Sunday Salon is about what great books I've come across during the week or some bookish news that puts some great books in the spotlight. Today I just wanted to take a moment to let you know about something that is lurking around the corner... Something that involves books, and reading and giveaways....

February 18th, 2010

February 18th is my one year blogoversary! Can you believe it!! I can't. It's been so much fun writing the blog, learning about widgets, and html (ok, that's not too much fun), and how to put it all together. Most of all it's been a lot of fun meeting all of YOU! I've made so many friends and the blogging community has made me feel so welcome! Starting on Feb. 18th I've got some great giveaways planned! Some of the publishers I've worked with are also sponsoring some great book giveaways here too! I'm still finalizing some details, but it should all be a lot of fun!

As a special thank you to Everyone who has become an official "Follower", there will be some giveaways just for you! There are many ways to follow a blog, and everyone who follows through a feed, Twitter, just coming back to say hello or to see what's going on has helped this blog grow! And I appreciate EVERYone who has stopped by!

One way to "follow" is through Google Friend Connect, which on my blog is in the left hand column of the blog. There will be a random drawing for all Google Friend Connect followers, so if you haven't signed up yet you might want to. It's easy, fast and all your information (like email addy) is private too.

The Blogoversary Celebration starts Feb. 18th , with giveaways sprinkled through out the end of Feb.! Come back then (you can come before then too!) and say hello! And in the meantime, there will be book reviews, memoir mondays, and a giveaway or two coming up. (An audio book giveaway is coming next week!) And BTW, how did you like the post "What's Cooking", with the recipe's?

Have a great sunday! And enjoy what book you've cracked the spine on this week! ...Suzanne

*P.S. I just found out that one of my giveaways will be for a copy of Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin! Thanks to Cheryl of Pump Up Your Book Promotions & Random House! Read my review of Alice I Have Been!

The Sunday Salon... A look back at some of my favorite books, and a look ahead...

It's a brand new year and I'm already anticipating all the wonderful books coming along! There have been many best of 2009 lists out there such as the lists from Books on The Nightstand, Library Journal, and January Magazine. Here are some of the books that I read this year and would include in a best of list...

The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist

Little Bee by Chris Cleave

The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The Impostor’s Daughter by Laurie Sandell

Knight of Desire by Margaret Mallory

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

Hotel on The Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel

Benny & Shrimp by Katarina Mazetti

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

There were lots of books I enjoyed this year, but the books above stood out for one reason or another. I loved both Hotel on The Corner of Bitter and Sweet and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, both of which I chose for my reading group this year. I also enjoyed Burnt Shadows... I will write reviews for all of these soon, in the meantime I have links for all the other reviews so if you missed any of them this year you can catch up (just click on the book title)... What books were your favorites this year?! Have you read any of the books on my list?

Then there are the books that I didn't get a chance to read yet... Here are 5 books that I am making it a point to read ASAP (my own mini challenge!)... The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (The second book in the series is coming out in March!), Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger, The Girl Who Played With Fire by Steig Larsson, Waiting for Columbus by Thomas Trofimuk, and The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt. Challenges are great because they focus your attention on a goal, and this little nudge is probably all I need to get these off the TBR pile! ... Are there books on your TBR pile that you're looking forward to finally reading? How about any books you've read about that you're looking forward to reading period?!

Speaking of challenges, I've already signed up for one, The Graphic Novels Challenge, and look forward to stepping out of the box and explore that genre a bit more... Another great thing about Challenges is that you can usually join in at any time. I joined The Japanese Literature Challenge a bit late, but found a lot of wonderful Japanese authors to explore! The Challenge was easy with only one book needed to be read to meet the requirements, but I still have a few more weeks until it ends and I'm going to try and slip in another book! Have you signed up for any Challenges?! I would love to hear about what challenges you're going to read for!

So, on to the New Year! Memoir Mondays will still be on mondays, as long as there are memoirs to be read! And I'm playing around with the idea of a cookbook review meme called What's Cooking... I'm going to heat up January with lots of Romance! I have a great giveaway coming up from Hachette Book Group, and I've saved some great romance book reviews starting next week! If you're not into romance ( Ok, guys I know you're out there!) there will be plenty of other book reviews too! Not to mention the start of a regular Book Club selection post with a reading group guide. I am also going to add more Kindle/eReader specific content because I just love my Kindle and there is just so much going on in the digital world... And finally NEXT MONTH is my Blogoversary! Watch out for some great giveaways all month long (in Feb.) as a thank you to EVERYONE who's made Chick with Books blossom into the blog that it is today!

Have a Great Week! Happy reading... Suzanne