Scottish Seduction Blog Tour Giveaway!!! Happy Valentines Day!

Valentine's Day wouldn't be Valentine's Day without a little romance, right!?! How about a Hot Scottish Warrior?! How about a pair?! Yes ladies, Happy Valentines Day! Today Chick with Books is hosting a GIVEAWAY courtesy of Forever Romance and Grand Central Publishing! Two lucky Chick with Books readers with win a copy of both Seduction of a Highland Warrior by Sue-Ellen Welfonder and The Chieftain by Margaret Mallory! Both wonderful writers and two great books! Here's my review of them...

The Chieftain by Margaret Mallory... Margaret Mallory never fails to make great hero's. But she also writes wonderful heroines to be with those hero's. Such is the romance between Connor, chieftain of the MacDonalds of sleat, and Ilysa, the humble girl who has grown up in the same household as Connor, who Connor seeks advise from, but whose bloodline is not grand enough to save the clan Connor must now lead after his father and brother are killed. I love their story, but I love the fact that Margaret Mallory always creates strong female characters that can handle themselves and yet are feminine enough to seduce their warrior. The story is one of battle and romance, as rival clans abound and honor and family drive Connor to protect his lands and his people. The story is wonderful, but the writing will seduce you! You feel as though you are back in time, with the people and places so familiar to Connor and Ilysa. He dialogue is believable and so is the setting. Her research is spot on, but she's got a lot of experience with this era and knows her stuff. She always peppers her stories with a bit of humor too. It's a great combination.

If you love romance, and you love Highlander romances (and those hot warriors), Margaret Mallory is your girl. The Chieftain is a great read and you will not be disappointed. You'll have to wait until Feb. 26th for it's official release, BUT courtesy of Forever Romance and Grand Central Publishing you have a chance to win a copy! Details are down below! Don't miss out! You can read more about The Chieftain by Margaret Mallory at her MargaretMallory.com!

Seduction of a Highland Warrior by Sue-Ellen Welfonder... Sue-Ellen was a new author to me, but this isn't her first Highland warrior. Seduction of a Highland Warrior opens with a wonderful setup... letting you know that the the tales of Highland warriors are ancient and full of wonder....

In the beginning of days, before Highland warriors walked heather-clad hills and gazed in awe across moors chased by cloud shadows, old gods ruled the dark and misty realm that would one day be known as Scotland.

 Don't you just love it?! Then we hear about the legend of the MacDonald's and it is fantastic! And of course all good legends eventually lead to the present day, which would be the new Clan Donald Chieftain, Alasdair. Honor is everything to Alasdair, which makes him sizzle all the more, especially to Lady Marjory Mackintosh! 

I really enjoyed the story, the writing and the romance! Sue-Ellen also creates a strong female character in Marjory and it makes the story and the romance all the more convincing. But what makes a great Highlander romance in the end is the authenticity of the surroundings and Sue-Ellen does a great job of creating a historic landscape.

If you love those Highlanders, you have to give Sue-Ellen Welfonder a try. She did a wonderful job with Seduction of a Highland Warrior and I look forward to cracking the spine on more of her books! Seduction of a Highland Warrior is available right now, but courtesty of Forever Romance and Grand Central Publishing YOU have a chance to win a copy right here at Chick with Books! Two lucky readers will win a copy of BOTH Seductions of a Highland Warrior by Sue-Ellen Welfonder and The Chieftain by Margaret Mallory! Here's the details...

Scottish Seduction Blog Tour Giveaway...

This giveaway is for a copy of both The Chieftain by Margaret Mallory and Seduction of a Highland Warrior by Sue-Ellen Welfonder. Two winners will be chosen from all eligible entries. Here's how to enter...

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

* For an additional entry, blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link in a comment here!

This giveaway is U.S. residents only (NO P.O.Boxes please). These books books will be shipped directly to the winner from the publishers. Contest ends 11:59 on March 2nd, 2013.

Scottish Seduction Blog Tour... Author Interviews!

Chick with Books would like to welcomeThe Scottish Seduction Blog Tour! As we all know, Scottish warriors are HOT and  2 great authors are celebrating the release of their new Scottish romances! Margaret Mallory, who I just love and has been a favorite romance writer of mine since her first book, Knight of Desire, and Sue-Ellen Welfonder, who has quite a few Scottish warriors under her belt and who I just discovered as a result of hosting this tour and thoroughly enjoyed reading! These wonderful writers have graciously agreed to visit us today and answer a few questions about their books and their warriors! AND as a special treat, we are having a GIVEAWAY tomorrow for Valentines Day!!!! 

Welcome to Chick with Books Margaret!

CWB: I love all your Scottish warriors! What makes Connor special? 

MM: Thanks! I love them all too.   

MM: Connor is the hope of his clan in terrible times, a self-sacrificing hero who puts duty first. After his father and older brother are killed and his clan, Connor becomes chieftain, a responsibility he never expected and one which weighs heavily upon his shoulders. He is destined to a great chieftain, the kind that the bards tell stories about for generations. What makes him more special is that, while he is determined to succeed and protect his people, he is also humble. He never abuses his power, and he cares for the well-being of even the lowliest members of his clan. Of course, he’s quite handsome as well. No wonder Ilysa adores him.

CWB: You do an amazing amount of research to make your books historically correct. Do you do research for every book, or do you come up with your story plots based on your previous research?

MM: I’m always researching! Before I started this series, I researched Scottish history to find an exciting time period with a lot of ready-made conflict for my stories.  Once I found my time period, I researched Highland clans. They all have interesting histories, but the MacDonalds of Sleat were especially intriguing because members of the chieftain’s family were busy murdering each other around the time of my books. Such a find for a writer! ;) 

Even though I did a lot of research before I started the first book in the series, I’m constantly looking things up while I’m writing. One thing often leads to another, and I’ll come across a legend about a historical character or a ghost story associated with a castle in my book. That’s always fun. 


CWB: What makes Scottish warriors so seductive & fun to write about?

MM: The Highland warrior has a larger-than-life quality that makes him great hero material. To survive in his harsh and violent times, a Highlander had to be exceedingly strong, brave, and resourceful. As a modern woman in today’s world, I may not need—or want—a man who is as forceful and physical as the heroes in my books. But take me to 16^th century Scotland in my imagination, and I want that alpha warrior! 

Thank you Margaret for taking the time to share a bit of yourself and your Scottish warrior! Thank you for participating in the Scottish Seduction Blog Tour and letting Chick with Books host a great giveaway that includes a copy of The Chieftan!

                                                 *****************************

C

Welcome to Chick with Books Sue-Ellen!! 

It’s a pleasure to be here to celebrate Seduction of a Highland Warrior’s Jan. 29th release.  I enjoy meeting readers who are as passionate about Scotland as I am, and I can tell by the questions that this applies here.  So let’s talk about the Highlanders we all love so much!

CWB:  What do you find seductive about Scottish warriors?

SEW:  Aside from their buttery-rich burrs that, in my humble opinion, can be called a verbal orgasm, and also looking away from the kilts that are oh-so-sexy because of what is (or isn’t) beneath them, I believe Highlanders appeal because they are the ultimate Alpha heroes.  Especially medieval Highlanders.  These were big, strong men who were rugged, bold, and absolutely fearless.  They’d face down the devil himself to protect kith and kin, they’d die for honor, and let no man try and take their land.  Hills and glens they loved which such passion even their descendants today feel the soul-deep pull to return.  That yearning burns bright, never diminishing even across centuries and oceans.  Men able to instill and sustain such passion can only have been larger-than-life, legends even more heroic than we can ever pen them.  Let such a man love a woman and the earth shakes.  The very heather catches flame and the Highland mist trembles in awe of his devotion.  As a lover, he’s earthly and everything a woman could desire, sating her so thoroughly she wouldn’t dare dream to even glance at another.  I could go on, but I think you can imagine these were definitely hero-worthy men.

CWB:  What makes Alasdair special?

SEW:  Alasdair is special because he’s waited for Marjory through an entire series.  As a proud clan chieftain, and a MacDonald, he possesses all the qualities noted above.  (The MacDonalds are my personal favorite among all Highland clans and also one to which I have deep ancestral ties.  This connection made Alasdair dear to me on a personal level.)  His love for the land, and the people who look to him for leadership, is boundless.  For nothing in the world would he risk losing his beloved glen or destroying his clan.  Yet to claim Marjory, he must do so.  He’s struggled against his feelings for her, yet when pressed to a wall, he chooses to fight rather than lose the woman he loves.

CWB:  How did Scotland seduce you to become the writer you are today?

SEW:  I loved Scotland before I ever even thought about writing.  My family is Scottish and so I was raised to love and appreciate Scotland and everything my Highland/Hebridean heritage brings with it.  Loving Scotland has always been a strong part of my life and world, and always will be, whether I am writing or not.  I’ve also been visiting Scotland all my life.

Regarding writing, my deep love for Scotland influences the genre I choose to write in.  I believe a story only comes to life when the writer is passionate about her material.  If she isn’t, the words are only ink on the page.  As an example, in recent times there has been worldwide furor over a book I surely don’t need to name.  I might have the writing skills to attempt something in this genre, to jump on the so-called bandwagon.  But if I did so, while the work might be competent, it would lack sparkle.  My heart would not be in the writing because the content doesn’t interest me.  That would show, making the work lackluster.

Yet when I write about Scotland, the place that (literally) runs in my blood and fires the yearning of my heart and soul, making my pulse race and everything in me quicken with excitement, well…  Then you see that passion flow from my heart straight onto the keyboard and into the words.  That is how Scotland influences me.  I’m writing what I love so much and that’s such a blessing.

Thank you so much for having me here today.  It’s always a joy to chat about Highlanders and Scotland.

Highland Blessings!
Sue-Ellen Welfonder

Thank you Sue-Ellen! It was a pleasure having you here at Chick with Books! I appreciate you spending time with us here today AND thank you for also participating in the Scottish Seduction Blog Tour and letting Chick with Books host a great giveaway that includes a copy of Seduction of a Highland Warrior!

Sneak Peak... The Archived by Victoria Schwab

A most unusual library...

We all have histories, that's what makes us human. But what if you were a Histories? Imagine a vast library, so beautiful and filled with... the bodies of the dead! In this new book, The Archived by Victoria Schwab, the library is just that... a repository for the dead and their histories- their lives preserved by the librarians that are chosen to oversee and guard the library...

Of course you have the occasional escape, where one of the undead wakes up and tries to make their way back home... that's where the Keepers come in. Their job is to find them and bring them back to their final resting place.

"Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books. Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive. Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was: a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often-violent Histories from waking up and getting out."

The idea of a library that houses our bodies and preserves our histories intrigued me, so I was eager to download the sample ebook from Disney Hyperion. What I didn't know was how much I was going to enjoy The Archived! I couldn't put it down! The writing is wonderful. It's vivid and honest, almost heartbreaking at times, and it simply resonated with me. Elements of the supernatural mixed in with a secret Dystopian type society, add up to a great story! Our protagonist, Mackenzie, is an awesome character with lots of spunk and heart, and I really felt empathy for her as she shared her feelings about everything and everyone around her, especially how she missed her younger brother Ben and her Da.  And it's nice to see another good female protagonist walking across the pages!

I was only able to read the first 108 pages, and now need MORE! And there will be more- this will be a series, with the next book being released in 2014. But for now, we'll all have to wait until Jan. 22nd to get our hands physically on this book- that's its release date.

I want to thank Hyperion for the opportunity to have a sneak peak and read the first part of this great new series!

Memoir Monday

I've always said that female friendships are intense & passionate. We are Mothers, Sisters, Best Friends and the Girls Next Door. We are Lovers and Haters, Care takers and Bitches. We are complicated.

Susanna Sonnenberg tackles her "girl" friendships that have made her the woman she is today in her new memoir, She Matters: A Life in Friendships. This book has gotten a lot of positive buzz in the reading community and after reading just a small sample, I can see why. 


The best friend who broke up with you. The older girl at school you worshipped. The beloved college friend who changed. The friend you slept with. The friend who betrayed you. The friend you betrayed. Companions in travel, in discovery, in motherhood, in grief; the mentor, the model, the rescuer, the guide, the little sister. These have been the women in Susanna Sonnenberg’s life, friends tender, dominant, and crucial after her reckless mother gave her early lessons in womanhood. Searing and superbly written, Sonnenberg’s She Matters: A Life in Friendships illuminates the friendships that have influenced, nourished, inspired, and haunted her—and sometimes torn her apart. Each has its own lessons that Sonnenberg seeks to understand.


One thing I can say from reading a handful of pages is that Susanne Sonnenbergs' writing is wonderful. It ebbs and flows beautifully, and her ability to capture the true nature of her friendships is what makes She Matters captivating. She helps us to put into words what our female friendships have meant to us through the years. 

I'm looking forward to cracking the spine on this one! She Matters by Susanna Sonnenberg was published on Jan. 8th by Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. P.S. This is Kindle Ready! AND Nook Ready!

The Sunday Salon and... The Night Reserved for Readers

Welcome to The Sunday Salon! Pour yourself a cup of java, pull up a chair and relax. It's that time of the week we chat about books and bookish things! And today we are talking a load of books...

Imagine a night devoted to readers... All over the world, just one night that book lovers spread the joy of reading to one another. A night to encourage non-readers and sometimes readers to read a good book. A book you just think everyone should read! Could there be such a night? YES!

World Book Night is an event to spread the love of reading! Authors waive their royalties and publishers pay the costs of producing special editions of pre-selected books to be distributed that special night, which is April 23rd of each year. April 23rd happens to be Shakespeare's birthday & UNESCO International day of the book. It was chosen in honor of Cervantes, who died on this date, and whose death inspired the Catalan region of Spain's tradition of giving a book and a flower to a loved on on this date.

World Book Night U.S. is a celebration of books and reading held on April 23, when 25,000 passionate volunteers across America give a total of half a million books within their communities to those who don’t regularly read. In 2012, World Book Night was celebrated in the U.S., the UK, Ireland, and Germany and saw over 80,000 people gift more than 2.5 million books.

Each year 30 books are chosen by an independent panel of librarians and booksellers. Readers fill out an application to become a volunteer to hand out 20 copies of a particular book they have read and feel passionate about. Volunteers will pick up their books from a preselected drop off spot, usually a local bookstore or library, the week before. And it is a lot of fun! Last year 3 of my book club members and myself were approved to distribute books. We landed at a local grocery store, had special t-shirts made up for the occasion, brought a table, made posters and talked books with everyone who went in and out of the store. We distributed 80 books... The Hunger Games, The Lovely Bones, The Book Thief and Little Bee!

I've filled out my application to be a volunteer this year, AND YOU can too! Applications are being accepted until January 25th! You can find the details at World Book Night 2013. Included in the details  are the rules & guidelines, a link to the 30 books, and at the very bottom of the page is a link to the application, which you fill out online and submit.

Curious about the books? Here's the list of this years books...


The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
City of Thieves by David Benioff
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
My Antonia by Willa Cather
Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
La Casa en Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros -translated by Elena Poniatowska
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
El Alquimista by Paulo Coelho
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Playing for Pizza by John Grisham
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster; illustrated by Jules Feiffer
Moneyball by Michael Lewis
The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer
Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson
Population 485 by Michael Perry
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Montana Sky by Nora Roberts
Look Again by Lisa Scottoline
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
Glaciers by Alexis M. Smith
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
Favorite American Poems in Large Print edited by Paul Negri

This years selections seem to be broader than last year, with a romance, and murder mystery included among the usual classics and popular fiction.

Did you volunteer last year? Thinking about applying this year? It's a great opportunity to spread the joy of reading! Share your experiences with World Book Night! I'd love to hear about what books you gave away that night! And if you're new to all this, I'd be more than willing to share what I did last year!

Happy reading.... Suzanne

Is Love Eternal? Cadaver, a bittersweet love story by Jonah D. Ansell... a Review

OK, I'm a true romantic... I envision true love not bound by time or circumstance. So, I was curious when I read a blurb about  Jonah D. Ansell's graphic novel Cadaver...

A cadaver wakes up to say a last goodbye to his wife, but discovers a truth in death he didn’t know in life.

Maybe not so romantic because it's literally a corpse that comes back to life, but how about a love so strong that the man just can't lie quietly on the table until he says one last goodbye to the love of his life... his wife.

Creepy, but tender and absolutely hilarious. The graphic novel is written in rhyme, reminds me of Adam Mansbach and Ricardo Cortes' book, Go the F** to Sleep, not for the profanity, but for the dry humor. The accompanying artwork by Carina Simmons, Eric Vennemeyer & Abe Dieckman is great. And how it all came about is sweet... Jonah D. Ansell wrote this as a gift to his kid sister who was going to be doing what all beginning med students eventually do... working with cadavers. Jonah "simply sought to lighten her mood and mitigate her understandable fears on what was then the biggest day of her life on her path to becoming a doctor."

I don't want to ruin the punchline on this slim graphic novel (my ebook was 114 pages), so I'll just say that an adventure ensues that has a bittersweet ending to a lifetime of togetherness. If you appreciate a bit of sarcasm with your romance, Cadaver should be right up your alley. I give it 4 scalpels!

I want to thank Academy Chicago Publishers for giving me access to the ebook! I really enjoyed reading it! If you'd like to read it, it will be published Feb. 1st! ( Shouldn't that be Feb. 14th?!)

P.S. Cadaver started as a short poem for a kid sister in med school and went on to become an award winning animated short long listed for the 2013 academy awards (here's the trailer!) Now we get to enjoy it close to it's original form.

Let's Get Graphic!

The Graphic Novel Challenge 2013

Ready for our first reading challenge? Here it is... The Graphic Novel Challenge 2013 hosted by Nicola of Back to Books! The details are as follows...

Levels 

Level 1: read and review 12 books during the year (you could spread them out and read one a month or have a blast and read all 12 in a row!)

Level 2: read and review 24 books during the year (same as above only you would read two a month for the slow rate)

Game Play

Basic: no change from last year. just read any book generally considered a graphic novel, manga, or collection of comics, write a review and link to your post.

Advanced:  For advanced play we are going to play categories.  Players will pick 1 book from each of the 12 categories below.  If you are playing at Level 2 you could double up, choosing two from each category, or use the remainder as free picks.  You only have to read one book from each of the 12 categories.

1. manga

2. superhero

3. classic adaptation (a classic work adapted into the graphic format)

4. memoir

5. fantasy

6. translated from a foreign language

7. a single-issue comic book

8. science-fiction

9. crime or mystery

10. fairytale or mythology (true to the original or fractured, such as Fables series)

11. children's book (specifically written for children)

12. anthology (a collection of short stories by different authors/artists)

I'm challenging myself to read 12 books, so it's the basic challenge for me. How about you? Up for a little reading outside your normal reading box? If so, follow the link above to the Graphic Novel reading challenge signup page. In the meantime, I'll be posting my reviews of any graphic novels I've read... and I've already got two reviews coming soon! 

Happy reading... Suzanne

Reading Resolutions & A Happy New Year

2012 was a year of transition for Chick with Books. Ok, maybe  just for the girl behind Chick with Books. I was here, I was there, but I still usually had a book in hand and never lost my love of talking about great books! 

The start of a new year is always exciting to me. Fresh starts, new ideas, and plenty of great reading on the horizon. I always look forward to my favorite authors writing wonderful new books, discovering new authors whose words wrap themselves around my reading soul, and finding books that transport me to places I've never been. Chick with books is coming back Sundays with The Sunday Salon, where I'll be highlighting some great books wrapped around a theme, or covering bookish happenings from around the world. I'll be reviewing some great new books, but also some books that we might have missed when they were first published, a.k.a."oldies but goodies". If you enjoyed my coverage of memoirs, Memoir Mondays will pop up monthly, covering memoirs and maybe some great nonfiction thrown in too. I haven't forgotten about the new way we read either... eReaders! There are some great reading bargains to be had, but also plenty of new ways to get those new ebooks and we'll talk about  what's new in the electronic world of the printed page (and I'm so tempted by a certain HD reader we'll be talking about that too!) Author interviews, bookish news, and some great giveaways are all on the Chick with Books reading horizon! 

Talk is cheap, so what's a reader to do in 2013 besides chatting about books? How about joining a reading challenge?! Join a group of people virtually and challenge yourself to get reading! What kind of books do you like to read? Classics, fantasy, or historical fiction? Dystopian, romance, or YA? How about Banned Books? There's a challenge for you! And not only does a reading challenge encourage you to read books you like, it also can challenge you to read books in a genre you would never normally crack the spine on... here are some of my challenges....

Japanese Literature! One genre I started to read and absolute love is Japanese literature. There are many authors, Haruki Murakami being one of the more popular, but they all share the same beautiful and yet simple writing. Every year, Dolce  Bellezza hosts The Japanese Literature Challenge, with great reading suggestions I enjoy joining in on this one. The 2012 will be wrapping up the end of January, and I'll be looking forward to joining in on the next (7th Year!) challenge. Generally the challenge starts in the summer, but that doesn't mean I can't start reading sooner than that!

Dystopian fiction! In 2009 I joined the Books on The Nightstand Dystopian YA challenge (or DystopYA challenge) I had never really read Dystopian fiction, or "fiction about a world that is attempting to be perfect but contains a fatal flaw. It's the opposite of a utopia. This can take the form of a fascist government, a failing environment, corporate rule - anything. In it, life is miserable and people have to strive to rise above.", but once I did, I was hooked. I still can't recommend The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist enough! (click on the title to read my review) There are plenty of other books in this genre that are captivating, challenging and well worth your time! (The Hunger Games falls in this category too!) More details to follow about where to sign up for this challenge. 



Graphic Novels! This was a reading challenge that was really out of the box for me when I first started participating. Graphic novels are often overlooked by readers who have never read one. Sometimes I hear, "Oh, you mean comic books". No, graphic novels have grown up. Now I admit, I don't like all graphic novels. I look for certain things... beautiful artwork... a good story. Basically what I'd look for in a good literary book with the addition of visuals. I might also mention that a graphic novel actual won a Pulitzer Prize! (Maus by Art Spiegelman in 1992). I'll be challenging myself to find some more great Graphic Novels and joining in on The Graphic Novel Challenge hosted by Nicola of Back to Books hosts . BTW, I just finished a great graphic novel called Sailor Twain by Mark Siegel,  look for my review coming soon, and my official post about this reading challenge!

I'll be reading plenty of other genre's of books through out the year, but these challenges kind of nudge me to make sure I take time to read from books I don't normally find myself reading. I might be nudging my book club to take up a few of these challenges too!

Are you challenging yourself to read outside your comfort zone? Or joining a reading challenge to get some of those books gathering dust on your shelf to be cleaned off? (Off the Shelf reading challenge).  How about just planning some great reading for 2013? Share your reading plans for 2013! Maybe it will inspire someone to open a book!

Happy New Year! and Happy Reading.... Suzanne

The Kindle Korner... or What .99 Can Buy You Today!

                  

What is the Sunday Salon? Imagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them, and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake...

It has been so long since we talked about eBooks! And since we did, so many people I know have either reluctantly been given one (yes Steve, I'm talking about you!) or have made the plunge. I myself have always had mixed feelings about eReaders. I love the feel and heft of a paper book in my hand, and yet my house is filled to the brim with books and no place left for any more. Cost is another consideration... if an ebook is about the same price as its' paperback, I am prone to buy the paperback. Why? I guess it's because of my physical love of books. It feels like you really own something when you buy that paperback. But when the ebook is A LOT cheaper than the paperback, it's time to hit that purchase button for my Kindle. And the Kindle is not the only eReader I own, as you probably remember. I love my Sony eReader maybe even more, but it is so much easier to give my money to Amazon when it comes to downloading, because I don't have the Sony Wifi eReader... (yet).

But what I thought I'd pass along today is some great eBook deals from Harper Perennial! For the whole month of August, Harper Perennial is offering 20 of their favorite eBooks for just .99 cents! And we're talking what looks to be like some great reading! Not only is it great to get eBooks for under a dollar, but it's a great opportunity to try some authors without breaking the bank! Thank you Harper Perennial for the special treat!

There is a variety of books to choose from, but here are the top three that caught my eye...

The Ruins of Us by Keija Parssinen... More than two decades after moving to Saudi Arabia and marrying powerful Abdullah Baylani, American-born Rosalie learns that her husband has taken a second wife. That discovery plunges their family into chaos as Rosalie grapples with leaving Saudi Arabia, her life, and her family behind. Meanwhile, Abdullah and Rosalie’s consuming personal entanglements blind them to the crisis approaching their sixteen-year-old son, Faisal, whose deepening resentment toward their lifestyle has led to his involvement with a controversial sheikh. When Faisal makes a choice that could destroy everything his embattled family holds dear, all must confront difficult truths as they fight to preserve what remains of their world. The Ruins of Us is a timely story about intolerance, family, and the injustices we endure for love that heralds the arrival of an extraordinary new voice in contemporary fiction.


The Ruins of Us interested me because of it's setting in Saudi Arabia and what I hope will be an interesting take on cultural differences. I also like the idea of the love story between Abdullah and Rosalie and how we see their relationship changes due to the culture that surrounds them as they go back to live their lives in Saudi Arabia. This reminds me a bit of The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, which showcased the cultural differences between generations, and the strife it can cause. And speaking of cultural differences, Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez, a true story, was a wonderful read. It was a love story and a cultural triumph for women all rolled up in one. Here is the Kindle link.



Lean on Pete by Willy Vlautin... From Publishers Weekly: A blend of road novel and not-quite hard luck story, the latest from Vlautin begins when 15-year-old Charley Thompson and his father move from Spokane, Wash. to Portland, Ore., to give starting over yet another try. When Charley's dad takes up with a married secretary and stops coming home, Charley takes a job with Del Montgomery, a crank based out of the nearby racetrack who, among other things, shoots up a horse with vodka. After Charley's father dies from wounds suffered during a fight with his lover's husband, Charley, whom Vlautin has conveniently given the pastime of running, runs away with Pete, a horse and his only friend. This is where the narrative sours; Charley's trek across the West, occasionally on horseback, is dominated by an unbelievable stretch of luck: men appear to dispense food and money, miraculously uninhabited trailers contain washers and dryers, and his hitchhiking is eerie, but not dangerous. Still, Vlautin's characters, despite their unrealistic arcs, shine with his sparse style. It might be difficult to believe Charley's bottomless cache of silver linings, but it's remarkably easy to root for the kid.


Maybe a love story between a boy and his horse? Maybe a bit of a coming of age story, as Charley is forced to grow up fast? Will we get a peak at the American West on horseback? My hope for Lean on Pete is to have all of that and more. Here is the Kindle link.

Daughters of the North by Sarah Hall... In her stunning novel, Hall imagines a new dystopia set in the not-too-distant future. England is in a state of environmental crisis and economic collapse. There has been a census, and all citizens have been herded into urban centers. Reproduction has become a lottery, with contraceptive coils fitted to every female of childbearing age. A girl who will become known only as "Sister" escapes the confines of her repressive marriage to find an isolated group of women living as "un-officials" in Carhullan, a remote northern farm, where she must find out whether she has it in herself to become a rebel fighter. Provocative and timely, Daughters of the North poses questions about the lengths women will go to resist their oppressors, and under what circumstances might an ordinary person become a terrorist.


Dystopian fiction is so interesting. Posing the question of "What if?". Laying out scenarios that are usually not too far fetched and where you try and imagine how you would handle things. I enjoy dystopian fiction. The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist and Delirium by Lauren Oliver both come to mind. They are on my top ten list for this type of genre. (And if you haven't read these books, you should!) Daughters of the North seems to have all the qualities of great dystopian fiction, and a reluctant but strong heroine is one of those qualities I look for and it has! Here is the Kindle link.

Don't be discouraged if you don't own a Kindle, Harper Perennial is offering the eBook deals for Nook fans, Kobo fans, Google Book fans as well as iBook fans. Use the "eBook deals from Harper Perennial" link above to go right to Harper Perennial's facebook page, which has the full list and links for all the available eBook sources, or search for the books that interest you via your eReader and check out the deals. Make sure of the price before you buy, just in case they change the pricing!

Here is the complete list of the eBooks offered by Harper Perennial with their Kindle links...

Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon Van Booy
The Most Beautiful Walk in the World by John Baxter
Flatscreen by Adam Wilson
Drinking Closer to Home by Jessica Anya Blau
The Average American Male by Chad Kultgen
Daughters of the North by Sarah Hall
In the Hot Zone by Kevin Sites
Great Philosophers Who Failed at Love by Andrew Shaffer
The Ruins of Us by Keija Parssinen
Nothing by Blake Butler
Lean on Pete by Willy Vlautin
Everything is Wrong with Me by Jason Mulgrew
Dishwasher by Pete Jordan
Skinny by Diana Spechler
Two for Sorrow by Nicola Upson
The London Train by Tessa Hadley
Is the Internet Changing the Way You Think? by John Brockman
Seeds by Richard Horan
The Great Lover by Jill Dawson
What He's Poised to Do by Ben Greenman

Have you been using your eReader lately? What books have you read lately? Find any great eBook deals? Share what's been on your eReader lately!

Happy Reading... Suzanne