The Winner of The Mythology of Supernatural by Nathan Robert Brown is:
Margie S. (yachtlady)
Congratulations, Margie! Your book will be to you soon!
Thank you to everyone who commented on the Blog!
Archive for July, 2013
Free Book Friday! Winner of The Mythology of Supernatural!
Sunday, July 21st, 2013Free Book Friday!
Friday, July 19th, 2013
Today’s Free Book is:
The Mythology of Supernatural by Nathan Robert Brown
A look into the paranormal legends and lore features on the hit television show Supernatural. — From angels to demons, supernatural weaponry to Enochian, Heaven to Hell, The Mythology of Supernatural explores the religious roots and the ancient folklore of the otherworldly entities that brothers Sam and Dean Winchester face on the hit television show Supernatural-and that have inhabited the shadows of human imagination across countless cultures and centuries.
Trade Size Paperback, ISBN 9780425241370
We will choose one winner at random from comments we receive here on the Blog from PBS members.
You have until Sunday, July 21, 2013 at 12 noon EDT, to leave a comment.
Good Luck to everyone!
Note: All the books given away on Free Book Friday are available in the PBS Market. We have thousands of new and new overstock titles available right now, with more added hourly. Some of the prices are amazing – and you can use a PBS credit to make the deal even better!
Remember, every new book purchase supports the club and helps keep membership free!
Literature & Fiction Review – The Silver Linings Playbook
Tuesday, July 16th, 2013
The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick
Review by Mirah W. (mwelday)
When I saw the trailer for the movie ‘The Silver Linings Playbook’ I was perplexed. Why was Bradley Cooper wearing a trash bag? Then the movie went on to receive a myriad of award nominations and wins, including the Best Actress Academy Award for Jennifer Lawrence. Even with all the accolades, I had no idea what it was about. Then I found out the movie was based on a novel and at that point I thought, ‘ok, time to see what all the fuss is about’.
I started to read ‘The Silver Linings Playbook’ with no clue of the plot…except there’s a guy who wears a trash bag while running, which really told me nothing at all. I quickly came to realize ‘Silver Linings’ is a complex story full of hope and disappointment. Quick hooked me from the first chapter and I couldn’t put it down…and it got me through a long transatlantic flight and I didn’t check my watch every hour like I usually do when itching to get off a plane. For that, I thank Mr. Quick.
In ‘Silver Linings’, Pat is trying to get his life together after being in a neural health facility for an extended period, which he thinks has only been a few months. His main focus after being released from the facility is to end ‘apart time’ and win back his wife Nikki and be a better man for her and their marriage. Pat’s plan includes reading novels his wife teaches to her students, a comprehensive exercise regimen (which explains the trash bag he wears while running: he’s trying to increase his sweating to lose as much weight as possible), and therapy sessions with Dr. Patel. I won’t get into the specifics of Pat’s progress because that will ruin the reading experience for you but, as you would expect, there are ups and downs during the implementation of his plan. Pat experiences setbacks and catalysts to his growth and development. However, he believes in silver linings and knows in spite of the negative things in his life, some good will emerge in the end. Pat’s belief in silver linings is what motivates him throughout the entire novel.
The characters in this novel are rich and rewarding for the reader. Each character brings a different perspective to the plot and without each character Pat would not develop the way he does. Without a doubt, one of my favorite characters is Dr. Patel. He ended up taking on a role I did not expect and his level of compassion and method of treatment for Pat is endearing.
‘The Silver Linings Playbook’ was an unexpected surprise for me. I think it inspires without being cheesy and imparts a lesson on compassion without being preachy. In short, it is about so much more than a guy wearing a trash bag.
Mystery Monday – Hit Me
Sunday, July 14th, 2013
Hit Me by Lawrence Block
Review by Diane G. (icesk8tr)
For those of you who love Lawrence Block’s Keller series, you are going to love his latest Hit Me!
Nicholas Edwards now lives in New Orleans doing honest work and making decent money renovating houses, and fixing them up after hurricane Katrina. He has been keeping busy with his family, and his stamp collection. You would not think that he used to make his money killing people.
Then the economy starts to take a down turn, and he does not get many construction jobs. He starts wondering how long his savings will last him. Then Dot, who he used to work for in his previous career, calls him out of the blue asking him to do a job for him, and the man known as Keller is back in business.
Thus, he is back at it, and traveling back to New York, Dallas, and even taking his wife Julia along on a cruise. Julia has accepted her husband’s occupation, and sometimes seems intrigued by it.
If you have read the other books in this series, you will enjoy this one. It was a pretty quick read, but kept you wondering how he was going to complete each job as it came along.
The Keller series books are as follows:
Keller
3. Hit Parade (2006)
4. Hit and Run (2008)
Lawrence Block also writes other mysteries that are worth checking out. Here is a link to his books that are available to order from other members on PaperBackSwap: LINK
Free Book Friday Winner!
Sunday, July 14th, 2013
The Winner of this week’s Free Book, Agony of the Leaves by Laura Child is:
Sue H. (sueh)
Congratulations! Your book will be to you soon!
Thank you to everyone who commented on the Blog!
Free Book Friday! Agony of the Leaves, A Tea Shop Mystery
Friday, July 12th, 2013
This week’s Free Book is:
Agony of the Leaves by Laura Childs
The opening of the aquarium is a major Charleston event, and Theodosia has been hired to cater tea, scones, and sandwiches for the private party to honor dignitaries and big buck donors. Things are going swimmingly, until Theodosia escapes the party for a momentary rest, only to discover the body of a man entangled in a net, drowned in one of the aquarium’s state-of-the-art tanks.
To make matters worse, the victim is Theodosia’s former boyfriend Parker Scully. The EMTs on the scene think Parker’s drowning was an accident, but when Theodosia notices what look like defense wounds on his hands, she realizes that someone wanted Parker dead. The local police aren’t keen on hearing her theory-especially because of her ties to the victim-so Theodosia knows that if she wants Parker’s killer brought to justice, she’ll have to jump into the deep end and start her own investigation.
Hardcover, ISBN 9780425245538
We will choose one winner at random from comments we receive here on the Blog from PBS members.
You have until Sunday, July 14, 2013 at 12 noon EDT, to leave a comment.
Good Luck to everyone!
Note: All the books given away on Free Book Friday are available in the PBS Market. We have thousands of new and new overstock titles available right now, with more added hourly. Some of the prices are amazing – and you can use a PBS credit to make the deal even better!
Remember, every new book purchase supports the club and helps keep membership free!
Historical Fiction Review – Sultana
Thursday, July 11th, 2013
Mirah in The Court of the Lions
Sultana by Lisa J Yarde
Review by Mirah W. (mwelday)
I recently traveled to Spain and one of the stops on my trip was the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. Prior to my trip I found the book ‘Sultana: A Novel of Moorish Spain’ and thought it would be great book to read in preparation for my trip.
The novel is about Fatima, granddaughter of the reigning Sultan in 13th century Moorish Spain. The Nasrids were the last of the Sultans to rule in Granada and live in the Alhambra before the Christian reconquest. Fatima is part of an arranged marriage to the Sultan’s nephew Faraj when she is just 9 years old and has no relationship with Faraj until years later. We follow Fatima as she grows up and better begins to understand the secrets and roles of her family, her feelings for Faraj, and the threat of Christian influence.
Fatima lives in the Alhambra and we learn of the opulence of her life. Through Yarde’s descriptions, the Alhambra itself become like a character in the story. Of all the places I was going to visit in my tour of southern Spain, I was most excited about the Alhambra. Built in 889 it was originally a fortress and later became the royal palace for the Nasrid Dynasty. In addition to being a UNESCO World Heritage Site it is also one of the locations in the book ‘1000 Places to See Before You Die’, a book I am working hard to get through; it is my bucket list.
While walking through the Alhambra I kept thinking, this is where the Sultana and her family lived. Centuries ago, people really lived in this structure that looks like an amazing fantasy dream come true. People walked through these courtyards and through these arches every day. People looked through these windows just like I did; and even though we saw different things, I believe it was just as awe-inspiring then as it is today. It seems amazingly unreal to imagine everyday life happening within the elaborate walls.
Spain’s history is complex but Yarde creates a novel that is interesting and beautifully written. After having walked through the arches myself, I know the magic Yarde expresses about the Alhambra has not diminished over the centuries.
