Literary Quote of the Month

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies," said Jojen. "The man who never reads lives only one." - George R.R. Martin, A Dance With Dragons

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

International Giveaway & Review... The Sari Shop Widow by Shobhan Bantwal

A rare and insightful glimpse into the vibrant world of Indian-American fashions and immigrant culture. A young businesswoman rediscovers the magic of love, family, and tradition as she fights to save her failing sari boutique in New Jersey…

Congrats to Amanda who won the signed copy of The Sari Shop Widow! And Thank you to EVERYONE for joining in on the fun!

Since becoming a widow at age twenty-seven, Anjali Kapadia has devoted herself to transforming her parents' sari shop into a chic boutique, brimming with exquisite jewelry and clothing. Now, ten years later, it stands out like a proud maharani amid Edison’s bustling Little India. But when Anjali learns the shop is on the brink of bankruptcy, she feels her world unraveling…

To the rescue comes Anjali’s wealthy, dictatorial Uncle Jeevan and his business partner, Rishi Shah—a mysterious Londoner, complete with British accent, cool gray eyes, and skin so fair it makes it hard to believe he’s Indian. Rishi’s cool, foreign demeanor triggers distrust in Anjali and her mother. But for Anjali, he also stirs something else, a powerful attraction she hasn’t felt in a decade. And the feeling is mutual…

Love disappointed Anjali once before and she’s vowed to live without it—though Rishi is slowly melting her resolve and, as the shop regains its footing, gaining her trust. But when a secret from Rishi’s past is revealed, Anjali must turn to her family and her strong cultural upbringing to guide her in finding the truth…

"In my books, I try to weave social themes into stories of romance, intrigue, drama, and high emotion. My aim is to educate, inform, and entertain readers who may not ordinarily have an opportunity to learn about women's issues in India and other similar cultures." ...And in the Sari Shop Widow Shobhan Bantwal certainly does that! Shobhan's writing flows easily across the page as we enter the world of India. With the wonderful descriptions of Indian food and beautiful fabrics, we are taken into the sari shop of 27 year old widow Anjali Kapadia and can almost touch everything around us, but we are there to see how life can take some heartbreaking turns, and how the resolve of this one woman can overcome quite a lot while still holding on to the traditions of her upbringing.

Wonderful writing, characters that almost walk off the page and a great story, make The Sari Shop Widow a must read. And a great book club pick too! Here is a link to some great discussion questions. Would you like to read an excerpt? Here is a link to the first chapter. And if you missed Shobhan Bantwal's guest post earlier this month on Chick with Books, Here is the link to her insightful post on starting her writing career after age 50!

Would you like a chance to win an autographed copy of The Sari Shop Widow? And enter the world of Anjali Kapadia? Thanks to Jaime of Pump up Your Book, who is promoting Shobhan Bantwal's Book Tour this month, I have a extra copy of The Sari Shop Widow, signed by the author to give away!

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! 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 U.S. Residents and Internationally! If I can mail a book to you thru the U.S. Postal Service you are eligible to enter! Contest ends 11:59pm EST on Nov. 14th. I will randomly pick the winner the next day and email him or her! (please check your email.. winner must reply to me within 3 days! Thanks!) Good Luck!

And Thanks Jaime for the review copy of The Sari Shop Widow! It was a wonderful read!

P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!

85 comments:

Marjorie/cenya2 said...

What a super giveaway, please count me in.

cenya2 at hotmail dot com

Mel u said...

Hi -please enter me in this giveaway contest-thank


I follow you in google reader

Marjorie/cenya2 said...

I am also a google reader follower.

cenya2 at hotmail dot com

Kay said...

Please count me in too :)

I'm a follower (a new one but I have been a RSS subscriber for quite a while now).

kay at kaysbookshelf [dot] com

Tea said...

I would love to read The Sari Shop.

teakettle58atyahoodotcom

Tea said...

I have blogged about The Sari Shop Widow giveaway on my blog linked to here.

http://readwithtea.blogspot.com/2009/10/sari-shop-widow-by-sobhan-bantwal.html

Renee said...

i'd like to be entered.

reneesuz82@msn(d0t)com

Renee said...

I'm a follower

reneesuz82(at)msn.c0m

KiraR said...

I would like to enter.

kiris089[at]gmail[dot]com

KiraR said...

I'm a follower.

kiris089[at]gmail[dot]com

ccqdesigns said...

I would love to read this book. It has been on my wish list for a while.

ccqdesigns said...

http://twitter.com/ccqdesigns/status/5199034282
Here's a tweet.

ccqdesigns said...

I am a long time subscriber in google reader.

mariag said...

Love the author. Great story-teller.
Please enter me to win.

mariag said...

I follow on Google Reader

Kaye said...

ooh, I just love the cover on this one and the synopsis sounds great. Please enter me in the contest.

florida982002[at]yahoo.com

Kaye said...

I am a google friend connect follower

florida982002[at]yahoo.com

A Bookshelf Monstrosity said...

Ooh, please enter me!
+1 I'm a follower.
+1 I tweeted: http://twitter.com/bookmonstrosity/status/5202374116

fitz12383(at)hotmail(dot)com

Kristen said...

Great giveaway. Please enter me. And I follow through Google Reader.

whitreidsmama at yahoo dot com

The Book Chick said...

Thanks a ton for hosting this giveaway! I've wanted to read this book since I first started hearing about it, and what's better than an autographed copy?? Please enter me into your giveaway!

jonitathebookchick@gmail.com

The Book Chick said...

I'm currently a Google Follower!

jonitathebookchick@gmail.com

rubynreba said...

Please enter me - thanks!
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

bashtree said...

Oh this book sounds great!

bashtree said...

I follow via google reader.

The Book Chick said...

I've added your contest to my sidebar at http://book-chic.blogspot.com!

jonitathebookchick@gmail.com

kalynnick said...

Please enter me in. Thanks:)

kalynnick AT yahoo DOT com

Heidi V said...

I been waiting for this one since your review!

Thanks
heidivargas [at] live dot com

Unknown said...

I would love to win this book!
amandarwest@gmail.com

Unknown said...

I follow your blog.
amandarwest@gmail.com

Unknown said...

I retweeted this giveaway @amandawk.
amandarwest@gmail.com

Louise said...

Yeah, always great with an international giveaway:

louise_alkjaer at hotmail dot com

And I'm already a follower :-)

Louise said...

And I also tweeted this post louise_al

Pam said...

I've been wanting to read this. I've read previous books by her and loved them.

melacan at hotmail dot com

Carol W. said...

This sounds interesting. Please enter me in the giveaway.

wolfcarol451(at)gmail(dot)com

Carol W. said...

I follow on Google Reader.

wolfcarol451(at)gmail(dot)com

Shobhan Bantwal said...

Thanks for the great review, Suzanne, and for hosting me on such a wonderful and popular blog. Keep up the good work and keep on blogging!

Good luck to the winner of my book.

Shobhan Bantwal
Author of THE SARI SHOP WIDOW
www.shobhanbantwal.com

Sage Ravenwood said...

I've been enchanted with this book since I've heard about it. Please include me in this drawing. Thanks! Indigo

ravensquietscreams(at)gmail(dot)com

Sage Ravenwood said...

I'm also a follower. Thanks! Indigo

ravensquietscreams(at)gmail(dot)com

chocowafer said...

This looks good. Count me in! :)

austenfanblogs at gmail dot com

chocowafer said...

I'm a follower. :)

austenfanblogs at gmail dot com

chocowafer said...

I tweeted this:

http://twitter.com/austenfanblogs/status/5232520651

austenfanblogs at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

have read many good reviewsl...please enter me in this giveaway...thanks.

karen k
kmkuka(at)yahoo(dot)com

Gaby317 said...

Nice review! This sounds like something I'd enjoy. Please count me in.

gaby317nyc at gmail dot com

+ I follow

Sandra K321 said...

I think I would enjoy this one. I have seen several reviews of it, all positive.
seknobloch(at)gmail(dot)com

Sandra K321 said...

I follow your blog.
seknobloch(at)gmail(dot)com

Darlene said...

I'd love to enter for this book and I'm already a follower!

bj19662001 (at) yahoo (dot) ca

Sarah E said...

Please enter me in this giveaway!

saemmerson at yahoo dot com

Sarah Emmerson

Sarah E said...

I follow your blog.

saemmerson at yahoo dot com

Sarah Emmerson

Sarah E said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sarah E said...

I tweeted:

http://twitter.com/saemmerson/status/5282028759

saemmerson at yahoo dot com

Sarah Emmerson

DarcyO said...

I'd love to read this one. Please include me.

dlodden at frontiernet dot net

DarcyO said...

I follow your blog.

dlodden at frontiernet dot net

Alessandra said...

Please enter me, too! Thanks for the great giveaway!

Alessandra
outofblue1(at)gmail(dot)com

Alessandra said...

Now following your blog :)

Alessandra said...

I tweeted about your giveaway here: http://twitter.com/alessandra83/status/5312240177

Milka said...

Please count me in!
milkavainamo(at)lyseo(dot)edu(dot)ouka(dot)fi

Milka said...

Oh, I almost forgot, I am a follower!

J.T. Oldfield said...

Please enter me!

j.t.oldfield[at]gmail.com

I'm a follower w/ Google Reader

here's my tweet: http://twitter.com/bibliofreakblog/status/5360869784

kohsamui14 said...

At first I thought it would be an actual sari... but I now realise its a book... cant wait to read it
following you and here is my tweet
http://twitter.com/kohsamui14/status/5361276696
@kohsamui14

buddyt said...

I have joined as a Follower with Google.

Please enter me in the giveaway.
Thank you.

Carol

buddytho {at} gmail DOT com

Anonymous said...

what a great giveaway! thanks!

sensitivemuse at gmail dot com

Sharon said...

Thanks for having a giveaway of such an interesting sounding book! Pleae throw my name in the hat.

sbrockis (@) embarqmail (.) com

I am a follower!

va said...

I would love to win and read this book !

tumblemumbo(at)gmail(dot)com

va said...

I am a new follower of this blog .
tumblemumbo(at)gmail(dot)com

JoanneR said...

Thank you for the opportunity to win this great sounding book!

Anonymous said...

The book sounds so exciting, thank you for a giveaway :)

I follow you on RSS, via bloglines ;)

kiss(dot)to(dot)hand(at)hot(dot).com

Aik said...

I'd love to read this book! Thanks!

aikychien at yahoo dot com

Aik said...

I'm a follower.

aikychien at yahoo dot com

Simply Stacie said...

Please count me in.

I follow.

simplystacieblog at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

Please sign me up!
I'm also a follower :-)

dreamworldofabookaholic @ googlemail . com

Jess - A Book Hoarder said...

This is a fantastic giveaway! Please sign me up.

msjessicamae(at)gmail(dot)com

Jess - A Book Hoarder said...

I'm a new follower on google reader.

msjessicamae(at)gmail(dot)com

Jess - A Book Hoarder said...

I posted about this giveaway on my sidebar at:

http://abookhoarder.blogspot.com/

msjessicamae(at)gmail(dot)com

Edu Chico said...

Me please!
:)
educhico AT gmail DOT com

Jafantunes said...

Hey there!
Count me in.
jafantunes(at)sapo(dot)pt

Cavalier said...

One more for the giveaway!
o_rei_de_havana AT hotmail DOT com

Maria D said...

I'm up for this one!

dr.strangelove.vs.citizen.kane
@
gmail.com

Sue said...

I would LOVE to have this. Thanks for sharing it.

s.mickelson at gmail dot com

Strangelove said...

Oh, I would aprecciate this one!
carlos_durao AT hotmail DOT com

Caty said...

Oh, I'm not very lucky, but I will try!
catarina(dot)magoito(at)gmail.com

Mil said...

Greetings from POrtugal and than you for this opportunity!
goncalo.mil [@gmail.com]

J Dias said...

joanapatriciadias AT gmail DOT com

Tanita said...

Me, please!
tanitalves AT sapo DOT pt

CherylS22 said...

I'd love a chance to read this book - please enter me!
Thanks ~ megalon22{at}yahoo{dot}com

CherylS22 said...

I already follow
megalon22{at}yahoo{dot}com

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