Now try not to be upset...

...but there will be no Author Love-a-Thon this month. So sorry. No April fools joke.

I'm just plum tuckered out. :(

I know. Try not to cry. It'll be back next month.

'til then, Happy Reading!

red headed book child

Cozy Mystery Challenge 2010

COZY MYSTERY CHALLENGE

Good Morning all. I have decided to join a challenge. I'm pretty darn sure I could handle this one. I discovered it through Dollycas Thoughts that linked me over to Kris at Not Enough Books.

Here are the rules:

1. The challenge runs April 1st, 2010 through September 30, 2010.
2. The goal is to read at least 6 cozy mysteries, one for each month. You can choose to read more, but you must read 6 in order to complete this challenge. You don't have to read 1 each month, you can read them whenever you like, you just have to read at least six.
3. While you can overlap with other challenges, please try to have at least 2 of the books only count towards this challenge.
4. Prizes you ask? Everyone loves a prize! Everyone who completes this challenge will get a bookmark made by yours truly (even if I don't mail them in a timely manner - I will mail them.)
5. Sign-up using the dedicated form. The form can be found in another post or here's a direct link. While it would be great if you signed up before April 1st, last year I had several people who wanted to join but didn't learn about the challenge until after it had started. Therefore you can sign up anytime between now and September 1st.

Go to Cozy Mystery Challenge website to sign up.

I have not decided quite yet what I going to read. But on my cozy shelf currently I have the Cooking Class Mysteries by Miranda Bliss and A Hemlock Falls Mystery by Claudia Bishop and A Stamping Sisters Mystery by Terri Thayer.

I am going to see what comes my way and what mood I am in and let in all flow.

I hope you join me on this challenge. It sounds fun!

Happy Reading!

red headed book child

WINNERS! Merlin's Harp by Anne Eliot Crompton

Thank you all for entering my contest for Merlin's Harp by Anne Eliot Crompton.

The 2 lucky winners are...

JuJu from Tales of Whimsy

Thaeter 7

Winners have been emailed. They have 24 hours to respond!

Happy Reading!

red headed book child

WINNERS!- Beautiful Dead by Eden Maguire

Thank you all for entering my contest of Beautiful Dead by Eden Maguire.

The lucky 2 winners are...

Carrie at In the Hammock Blog

Michelle at The True Book Addict

Winners have been emailed. They have 24 hours to respond.

Happy Reading!

red headed book child

Review #52: Powder Necklace by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond

Title: Powder Necklace

Author: Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond

Publisher: Washington Square Press

Format: ARC from Publisher

Genre: Young Adult

ISBN: 978-1-4391-2610-3

Price/Pages: $15.00/app. 279

Release Date: April 6, 2010

My Review and Description:

I picked this one up yesterday afternoon during my son's nap time and finished it later that night. I was impressed with myself for eating it up so quickly but more so impressed with the talent of this debut novelist.

The story is tragic, real and compulsively readable. Lila is a 14 year old girl born to a mother and father from Ghana but raised in London. She never gets to know her father except over brief phone calls during holidays and her birthday. Her mother is fiercely protective and angry at every normal teenage action she seems to make. (talking to boys, wearing tight clothes, etc). Her mother's attitude towards her goes beyond normal mother/daughter parenting. Though the story behind her father isn't told right away, the hatred that Lila's mother has for him is quite obvious in the way she tries to shelter Lila.

Then one day her mother walks in on Lila and a boy friend watching TV and it sends her into a rage. Soon enough, Lila finds herself being sent to stay with her aunt in Ghana to give her mom "a break".

Ghana is a far cry from her life in London. It is rough and dirty and not at all welcoming. Her Auntie is brisk and to the point; "Don't ask too many questions. Try to fit in." Though her skin color matches the other girls at the Dadaba Girls Secondary School, the term "Broni" is often shouted at her, meaning "White Girl or not a true Ghanaian".

She is faced with a bleak, hot, cruel environment. She is taught to keep her head down and make it through. A water shortage, peer pressure and bullies make her life in Ghana a living hell. After six months and a tough road to making a few friends, her mother pulls her back to her life in London.

With a new man in her mother's life and a possible future step sister, Lila is brought back to a world she is unsure is her true home. But this time she jumps in full force; to hell with her mom's rules about boys. She deserves some fun and soon finds it in her first boyfriend, a new job, sex and drugs.

But not for long. Only a short time after getting settled back in, her father sends for her to take a vacation with his new family to Disney World.

At this point in the book you are really feeling for Lila. Seriously, what the hell? You feel the disfunction of the mother, the eagerness and lure of the father and the impatience of Lila. Who's interest is this all for?

Lila is a fresh, witty, all too aware and real teenager. Though her bad behavior makes you angry at times, you completely understand her rebellion and anger towards her parents. You also get a raw description of life in Ghana and the displacement Lila feels in a culture and world she is supposed to embrace.

Author Info: (from back of ARC)

Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond has written for AOL, Parenting magazine, The Village Voice, Metro, and Trace Magazine. Her short story "Bush Girl" was published in the May 2008 issue of African Writing, and her poem "The Whinings of a Seven Sister Cum Laude Graduate Working Board as an Assistant," was published in 2006's Growing Up Girl Anthology. A cum laude graduate of Vassar College, she attended secondary school in Ghana.

Rating: 5 stars/6 stars

I would recommend this for Young and Adult readers. It has a universal voice that teenagers could easily identify with and a unique and bold writing style that a seasoned reader can appreciate.

Thank you to Wendy at Simon and Schuster for feeding my love of new books and sending me a copy to read.

As always, thanks for stopping by and Happy Reading!

red headed book child

Week in Review: March 21- March 27

Week in Review

Such a beautiful Sunday morning here in Minnesota. Cold, yes, but beautiful. I'll take sun whenever I can. The music I am listening to is making this morning even better.

While my son and husband play on the floor, we are listening to the new album by Patty Griffin, Downtown Church. Though this blog is about my love of books, I have a pretty strong passion for music as well.

Raised on country, my feet are still planted firmly in the dirt of ones like Johnny Cash. But I am also a child of the 80s, was a young 20something in the 90s and am now an adult in the new century of American Idol obsessed music so my love expands to those of many. I have and will always have a soft spot for singer/songwriter music. Emmylou Harris, Iris Dement, and especially Patty Griffin. She is folk, country, blues, gospel, rock, all rolled into one. My husband and I are very lucky to get a chance to see her 5 days after my birthday in June!

Anyhoo, the week was a busy one as well. We took lots of walks again on the "warm" days, discovered we love to slide and now have a clear distinction between identifying all the vehicles "Van, mama, not truck!".

I caught up with a very old friend over tea and treats where as in the past we would do a late night beer and bad food at the local bar. Oh how time and age changes one!

My week in books was a busy one. I had two blog tours and am hosting two giveaways. I am giving away two copies of Merlin's Harp by Anne Eliot Crompton and Beautiful Dead by Eden Maguire. Check out my earlier posts and sign up.

I finished Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani and passed it on to my mom. I started Brava, Valentine and should have that one done this week.

I finished up Powder Necklace, a young adult novel, due out April 6.

My review should be up this week.

And my husband did his very first Guest Review for Last Snow and First Daughter by Eric Van Lustbader! Great job, hon!

I am looking forward to reading books off of my shelves for the next few weeks as I do not have any tours or requests scheduled!

If you have not hopped over to Crazy For Books and discovered the Book Blogger Hop that Jennifer started, you should. I have "met" so many new lovely blogs.

As always, thanks for stopping by and Happy Reading!

red headed book child

Book Blogger Hop- March 26

Hi Everyone! It's Friday and that means it is Book Blogger Hop time over at

Crazy-for-Books!

Jennifer created this great meme to connect bloggers to each other.

I think it's just great!

Sign up and make sure you read all of the instructions.

Have a great day and as always, thanks for stopping by!

Happy Reading.

red headed book child