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Archive for the ‘Book Recommendations’ Category

“Your Love Story” Valentine’s Contest

Friday, February 4th, 2011

Happy Post-Valentine’s Day! If you’re in need of a good love story, or in need of PBS credits, look no further than February’s blog contest.

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks is one of the most widely read books on our site, with 1,426 reviews. Many Nicholas Sparks fans say it is the prolific romance author’s best and most touching work.  Any one of the thousands of members who have read the book can readily explain the novel’s appeal.  It’s a story about real, powerful love that endures over a lifetime, and it’s an intimate invitation to share the likable couple’s journey. A true tale of devotion like this is a welcome reminder of how wonderful life can be when you’ve given your heart to another.

Available to order on PaperBackSwap today!

Since Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, we’d like to invite you, our readers, to submit your love stories to the PBS Blog. You can tell us how you met, what made you fall head-over-heels, or what has kept the flame alive. If your anecdote involves Valentine’s Day, that’s even more fitting! Just let us in on any influential details that made your journey as a couple special and worth retelling as “your love story”.

Get your submissions in by February 25th in a comment to this post. We’ll choose the top five stories and post them on February 28th. Then, PBS members will have four days to vote for the best one. The winner will be announced on March 4th and that lucky lovebird will  receive ten credits!

Please keep the stories to no more than 300 words. Though you may be madly in love, you don’t need to include every single detail about your other half!  Let’s face it; if it’s that interesting, it’s probably fiction.

Now that you know the details, it’s time to start writing! If you aren’t sure how to begin, think of The Notebook to give you an idea. If you haven’t read it yet, what are you waiting for? Order it from the site as a Valentine’s day treat, sure to lift even the weariest of hearts!

Let’s trade books!

Friday, January 21st, 2011

The following books are available to trade.

Predator by Patricia Cornwell . In an abandoned house in the rural South, a woman is held against her will. Her captor is unknown to her-and indeed unseen – but even in the dark, she knows that he is near.  Meanwhile, Kay Scarpetta and her colleagues – Benton Wesley, Pete Marino, and her niece Lucy Farinelli – investigate a series of forensic cases as haunting as any they have ever tackled. See other suspense books currently available for swapping.

Divine by Karen Kingsbury. Mary Madison was a child of unspeakable horrors, a young woman society wanted to forget. Now a divine power has set Mary free to bring life-changing hope and love to battered and abused women living in the shadow of the nation’s capital. Best-selling author Karen Kingsbury weaves another dramatic story of tragedy and redemption.   See other Christian Fiction selections currently available for swapping.
If Only In My Dreams by Wendy Markham.  Imagine Clara McCallum’s astonishment when she steps off an old-fashioned locomotive from a movie set and finds herself whisked back in time to 1941, and into the arms of Jed Landry, a man whom Clara has read about and studied, a man who is very much alive in 1941 but whom she knows will die a hero at Normandy three years later-or is it 62 years ago?  See other Paranormal Romance books currently available for swapping.
The Music of Dolphins by Karen Hesse . Mila creates headlines around the world when she is rescued from an unpopulated island off the coast of Florida. Now a teenager, she has been raised by dolphins from the age of four.  Researchers teach Mila language and music. She learns, too, about rules and expectations, about locked doors and broken promises, disappointment and betrayal. — The more Mila finds out what it means to be human, the more deeply she longs for her ocean home. Browse other books for age 9-12 currently available for swapping.

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger On the surface, Henry and Clare Detamble are a normal couple living in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. Henry works at the Newberry Library and Clare creates abstract paper art, but the cruel reality is that Henry is a prisoner of time. It sweeps him back and forth at its leisure, from the present to the past, with no regard for where he is or what he is doing. Yes, it’s as good as everyone has told you – if you have not read this book, you’ve missed out!  Browse other General Fiction books currently available for swapping.

Great New Books in the PBS Market

Wednesday, January 19th, 2011

Violet on the Runway by Melissa Walker . Violet Greenfield’s life changes forever when Angela Blythe from Tryst Models in New York City wants to put Violet on a plane and whisk her from high school into the world of high-heeled boots and oversized sunglasses. Tall, skinny Violet, who’s been P-L-A-I-N practically forever. And guess what? She’s going… See more Young Adult books currently available in the Market.

Retail Price: $9.99

Buy New (Paperback): $1.59+1 credit (save 84%) or $4.99 (save 50%)

Demon Ex Machina: Tales of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom (Kate Connor, Bk 5) Demon Hunter Kate Connor is having a crazy month. Demon patrols, teaching self-defense classes to the local moms, a teenage daughter who’s gung-ho on being a demon slayer in training and a toddler son entering a tantrum phase… On top of it all, Kate has to find a way to release the demon possessing her first husband, Eric… Browse currently available Paranormal Romance books in the Market.

Retail Price: $14.00

Buy New (Paperback): $7.09+1 credit (save 49%) or $10.49 (save 25%)

Friday Night Bites: Kick off the Weekend with Recipes and Crafts for the Whole Family by Karen Berman. Take the whole gang on a trip through the imagination with food and activities for all ages.This cookbook offers up 20 different dinners and over 100 recipes to make dinnertime fun again! There are jobs for kids and adults, and every meal includes appetizers, main courses, side dishes, and a fun dessert. See more books on Cooking, Food and Wine currently available in the Market.

Retail Price: $14.95

Buy New (Paperback): $2.09+1 credit (save 86%) or $5.49 (save 63%)

Even Money by Felix Francis, Dick Francis. When a gray-haired man steps forward from the Royal Ascot crowd claiming to be his father, Ned’s life is thrown into turmoil. He’d been told since he was a baby that his parents had died in a car crash. Barely an hour later, his newly found father is stabbed by an unknown assailant in the Ascot parking lot. Blood oozing from his abdomen, his father warns Ned to “be very careful.” But of whom? Of what? See other Thrillers currently available in the Market.

Retail Price: $26.95

Buy New (Hardcover): $4.09+1 credit (save 84%) or $7.49 (save 72%)

Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay Julia Jarmond, American by birth, is married to the arrogant, unfaithful French Bertrand. She learns that the Paris apartment she and Bertrand plan to move into was acquired by his family when its Jewish occupants were dispossessed 60 years before. She resolves to find out what happened to them… Browse other General Fiction books currently available in the Market.

Retail Price: $13.95

Buy New (Paperback): $7.09+1 credit (save 49%) or $10.49 (save 24%)

Holiday Season Books available to Trade

Tuesday, December 14th, 2010

These seasonal books are all available for swapping right now:

Silent Night by Mary Higgins Clark . When Catherine Dornan’s husband Tom is diagnosed with leukemia, she and their two young sons travel with him to New York during the holiday season for a lifesaving operation. On Christmas Eve, Catherine takes the boys to see Rockefeller Center’s famous Christmas tree, where seven-year-old Brian notices a woman taking his mother’s wallet. A St. Christopher medal tucked inside the wallet saved his grandfather’s life in World War II, and Brian believes with all his heart that it will protect his father now. Impulsively, Brian follows the thief into the subway, and the most dangerous adventure of his young life begins….   See other suspense books currently available for swapping.

Christmas Letters by Kathleen Paul, Darlene Mindrup, Rebecca Germany, Susan Downs. Four couples discover love when their letters cross the battlefronts of World War II. Joan and Drake surrender to The Forces of Love. Joyce captures The Missing Peace of romance in a Normandy hospital. Mitsu finds that Christmas Always Comes to those who hope. And Betsy and Kevin experience an Engagement of the HeartSee other Christian Fiction selections currently available for swapping.
The Cat Who Came for Christmas by Cleveland Amory. It was a white Christmas Eve, when Cleveland Amory, self-confessed curmudgeon and confirmed dog-owner, found himself standing in a deserted alley trying to rescue a dirty, injured, starving, decidedly unfriendly cat.  What followed is the enchanting story of Amory, who undergoes the transition from a life of independence to a life of being cat-owned. With glimpses of Amory’s cat’s memorable meetings with notables such as George C. Scott and Cary Grant, and fascinating tidbits about the history of cats, this is an irresistible book for cat-lovers and non-cat-lovers alike.  See other books about Animal Care and Pets currently available for swapping.

Too Many Holidays by Angela Shelf Medearis This year, Sharie’s mother wants their family to celebrate Kwanzaa. And she has to work on a project with Caitlin, who insists on studying her family’s Greek Christmas. Hannah, Sharie’s best friend, invites her over for Hanukkah. All Sharie wants is to celebrate Christmas, just like she’s always done. But her holidays are being ruined — and fast! Will Sharie find a way for everyone — including herself — to have a merry season? Browse other books for age 9-12 currently available for swapping.

Christmas in My Heart by Joe Wheeler.  Open up these precious treasuries of classic stories to rediscover what makes Christmas so special.  These stories (from master storytellers such as Pearl S. Buck, Madeleine L’Engle, Taylor Caldwell, and O. Henry) share the spark of Christmas in all of us–the caring, the sharing, and the love. Read them once, to loved ones or in peaceful solitude, and they will forever become a part of your family’s Christmas traditions.

PBS Market Books for Stocking Stuffers…

Monday, December 13th, 2010

The PBS Market has the holiday on its mind! From stocking stuffers to gift sets to bestsellers at rock-bottom prices…

The Hunger Games Trilogy boxset by Suzanne Collins . The extraordinary, groundbreaking New York Times bestsellers are available in a beautiful hardcover boxset edition. Stunning, gripping, and powerful. The trilogy is now complete!  A great gift for teen/young adult.

Retail Price: $53.97

Buy New (Hardcover): $27.09+1 credit (save 49%) or $30.49 (save 43%)

GIrl’s Guide to Witchcraft by Mindy Klasky .  Which is more unlikely? Meeting a single, straight, reasonably attractive, willing-to-commit man? Or discovering a secret cache of magic books? For good girl Jane Madison, neither has a prayer of coming true–until the day she finds a hidden room, and finds a spell that makes her irresistible to men…  A great gift for anyone who loves paranormal romance.

Retail Price: $13.95

Buy New (Paperback): $2.09+1 credit (save 85%) or $5.49 (save 60%)

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives: An All-American Road Trip . . . with Recipes! by Guy Fieri, Ann Volkwein Know someone who’s hooked on the Food Network Show?  He or she will love this book, which includes recipes from the featured eateries in the program.  Almost any cook or “foodie” will appreciate this book!

Retail Price: $19.99

Buy New (Paperback): $10.09+1 credit (save 49%) or $13.49 (save 32%)

Sookie Stackhouse (Boxed Set) by Charlaine Harris. The 8-book boxed set of Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood Series paperbacks. Cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse is no typical Southern belle – she can read minds. And she’s got a thing for vampires. Which, in a town like Bon Temps, Louisiana, means she’ll have to watch her back…and neck!  Set includes Dead Until Dark (Bk 1); — Living Dead in Dallas (Bk 2); — Club Dead (Bk 3); — Dead to the World (Bk 4); — Dead as a Doornail (Bk 5; — Definitely Dead (Bk 6); — All Together Dead (Bk 7); — From Dead to Worse (Bk 8).

Retail Price: $63.92

Buy New (Paperback): $32.09+1 credit (save 49%) or $35.49 (save 44%)

Would You Rather : Over 200 Absolutely Absurd Dilemmas to Ponder by Justin Heimberg, David Gomberg

Would you rather give blood or read Hamlet? Fight Mike Tyson or talk like him? For fans of juvenile humor, Would You Rather…? is the ne plus ultra of ridiculous dilemmas.  Whether read alone or with a group of friends, this book will have you laughing out loud as you debate the eternal questions of life, like: “Would you rather live in a world where Afros were mandatory for members of Congress or where it was legal, in fact encouraged, to crucify mimes?” A perfect stocking stuffer, or icebreaker at a holiday party.

Retail Price: $9.95

Buy New (Paperback): $1.49+1 credit (save 85%) or $4.49 (save 54%)

PBS News; Books for Schools, Gifts, Cruise, In Memoriam

Saturday, December 11th, 2010


Books for Schools Update: Our campaign this year was ambitious…30,000 books for 30 schools, and thanks to you we got there!  We will soon be turning those credits into real books for the students – they are anxiously awaiting their boxes filled with new stories and adventures.  The schools are thrilled to be receiving these right before the winter holiday so that they can send home the gift of reading !  Read the warm thank you notes from the schools so grateful for your help.

Gift Buying Guide. The Guide will help you find the perfect presents in the Market for everyone on your list – at bargain prices.   And remember, Market Madness is still going on – every Friday until December 31st, we are doing a random drawing for 5 free book credits.  Each book you purchase from the PBS Market enters you in the drawing – so the more books you buy, the better your chances of winning!  Donna, one of our lucky winners from last week, said “Oh WOW!  I read about the contest but never ever expected to win…I LOVE this thing!  It is like having a bookstore I can go to in the middle of the night, in my PJ’s, and you tell me before I even go that a book I want is there.” Remember that ordering multiple books in a shipment saves on shipping!

All abooooard! Members are still able to sign up for the Cruise to the Bahamas for PBS Members, February 4 – 9, 2012.  The cruise leaves from Jacksonville, Florida.  PBS members and family/friends are welcome!  Register for the cruise on the webpage the travel agency has set up.  For information from a Cruise Committee Tour Guide, send an email to pbscruise@hotmail.com or post in the Discussion Forum topicNote: Please don’t send in Feedback, as PaperBackSwap is not coordinating this event.

One Size Fits All! PBS Gift Certificates can be personalized with your own messages (on cover and inside the card) and image, and you can print them out and fold them into a card to gift in person or by snail mail, or email them as e-cards to the lucky recipients.  Available in 5 or 10 Book Credit denominations, from the Gift Certificates link under “Kiosk” at the top of the site.  We know how much people appreciate these – they tell us all the time!


In Memoriam: As many of you know, we recently lost two pillars of the PBS community – Sherry N (Royaltech) and Tracey M (sexypineapple).  Both of them contributed a great deal to the club, volunteering their time and giving generously of themselves to other members. They exemplified the spirit of the PaperBackSwap community, and they will be terribly missed! Our thanks to everyone who donated to get new books for their respective elementary schools, where each of them first developed a lifelong love of reading, and please keep their families in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

Happy CyberMonday! PaperBackSwap Market presents the Gift Buying Guide!

Monday, November 29th, 2010

Bestsellers at bargain prices, without the holiday crowds.

We know that every list has its “toughies”. Those to whom you’ve given every year and now you’re running dry of ideas…the ones you don’t know very well…the ones who have everything. Whether it’s your father-in-law (he’s all stocked up on grilling accessories) or the mom who carpools your kids (she deserves better than bath salts) or the co-worker who cracks you up in meetings (is he the one who’s allergic to chocolate?) you can solve your dilemma at the PBS Market.

You know how much books have meant to you. Sharing the gift of reading is truly sharing of yourself. We have humor, sports, inspirational narratives, books for kids, stocking stuffers and boxed sets and much more…you’ll find the perfect present for everyone on your list. The Guide will be adding new categories all the time, so check back often. We’ll help you take care of your holiday shopping in a hurry! And don’t forget – with Market Madness each book you purchase before December 31st enters you in a random weekly drawing for 5 PBS Credits – the more books you buy, the more chances to win!

 

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