My Friend Amy

Booking Through Thursday: Honesty

mypalamy@gmail.com — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 01:00:21 -0600

I receive a lot of review books, but I have never once told lies about the book just because I got a free copy of it. However, some authors seem to feel that if they send you a copy of their book for free, you should give it a positive review.

Do you think reviewers are obligated to put up a good review of a book, even if they don’t like it? Have we come to a point where reviewers *need* to put up disclaimers to (hopefully) save themselves from being harassed by unhappy authors who get negative reviews?

All bloggers have a different reason for why they blog. Some only review books they like, which is great that's their choice. When I asked a similar question last week for Faith 'n Fiction Saturday, Rel said she reviews to encourage so if she doesn't like a book she doesn't review it. I think that's wonderful. Another respondent said they review books...they didn't know what a dishonest review was. I LOVED that. Some share their reading journey no matter what, some offer literary or critical reviews, I mean the list goes on. In short, there's no one size fits all for book blogs.

So I think an author should have a look at the blog they're asking to review their book to see if it's a good fit. And, yes, I do think bloggers should have a review policy either posted or shared with the author upon request. I don't (though I'm working on it) and didn't think about it before, but the more book blogging rises in prominence as a way to market and promote books I think the clearer the expectations--the better.

I think as a book community--we should all value honesty above sales and ego stroking. The fine art of reading a novel is going by the wayside due to a variety of things and lying about whether or not we like books is not going to sustain our favorite hobby. If we can't even share what we like honestly with one another, what do we have? I do think we owe it to authors to be respectful of their work, but we owe it to the community as a whole to be honest.

So those are my thoughts at present.

Please Take These Polls about Book Content

mypalamy@gmail.com — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:34:17 -0600

As you all know, I review both Christian fiction and general market fiction. This creates a dilemma for me, because I know that my readers also read a mix or one or the other exclusively.

I want to know your thoughts on how you'd like these books presented. Do you want me to mention each book that is Christian fiction and each general market book that may have explicit sex or language? Tell me, because this has been a major conflict for me for awhile!

How Important is it to you that I mention if a book is classified as Christian Fiction? ( surveys)

Which Elements do you want to be made aware of in a book? ( surveys)

Important News for LOST Fans

mypalamy@gmail.com — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:37:39 -0600

There's only 63 days left to the premiere of LOST season 5 (yay!!!!!!!!!) which will be a blissful 3 hours long...one hour of playing catch-up and two new hours with our favorite Losties.

And the LOST goodness is starting to come out. This Thursday (tomorrow), get this, there will be a one minute premiere of the new Fray song to a LOST promo during Grey's Anatomy. I know, huh? I was beginning to think the Fray had maybe got lost on an island themselves. I can't wait to hear new music from them and get a few milliseconds of clues to the new season of LOST.

(The picture above is the LOST season 5 promo poster. I'm sad Jin is missing. :( But I absolutely love the look of it.)

Waiting on Wednesday: A Passion Denied!!!

mypalamy@gmail.com — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 02:00:17 -0600

I've been waiting to participate in Waiting on Wednesday until I could share the cover of my most anticipated book. Julie sent me the final cover this weekend, and I'm so excited...I just love the blue tones and the synopsis sounds amazing. I even think Beth looks a little like Rachel McAdams in the picture.

Julie said that she had to rewrite some of the book, because her publisher thought it was too dark. I have to say that really intrigues me and she'll be back for a huge celebration of the final book in The Daughters of Boston series in April or May and an interview where she promises to talk more about that....so stay tuned!

Here's the information about the book from Julie's website:

Book 3, working title A Passion Denied, is the story of Faith and Charity’s little sister, Lizzie, a shy bookworm who dreams of a fairy-tale romance. It unfolds a man’s dark past and a young girl’s shattered dreams … and the God who redeems it all.

Elizabeth O’Connor is the little sister John always longed for. With a fire for God in his belly, he has been her spiritual mentor since she was thirteen, sharing her love of literature and her thirst for God. But when his gangly protégé blossoms into a beautiful young woman bent on loving him, he refuses to act on the attraction he feels. His past won’t let him go there. Unfortunately, “Lizzie” won’t let him go anywhere else … until his dark and shocking secrets push her away.

It sounds wonderful, doesn't it????

Go visit Jill at Breaking the Spine to find out what everyone else is waiting for!

Bookworm Award and Yes I'm a Book Nerd

mypalamy@gmail.com — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:25:23 -0600

Lesa at Lesa's Book Critiques and Sheri at A Novel Menagerie gave me the Bookworm Award! I'm so happy, because I enjoy being a bookworm.

Here are the rules:

Along with the award, there are a few rules. Open the closest book to you—not your favorite or most intellectual book, but the book closest to you at the moment—to page 56. Write out the fifth sentence as well as the next two to five sentences. Pass this on to five blogging friends.

Well, the book closest to me is the book I'm currently reading, The House on Tradd Street by Karen White.

"He took her hand in both of his, and I thought I saw her melt a little as he smiled down at her. "Jack Trenholm. And the pleasure is all mine."

Good grief. Karen White is a fantastic writer who spins gorgeous sentences I can only envy and that is what comes up? Please be sure to check out her books anyway. They are so lovely.

Anyway, I'm tagging some people who probably already did this, but I lost track...
Julie of Booking Mama
Jen at Devourer of Books
Dawn at She is Too Fond of Books
Jennifer of Literate Housewife
Elizabeth at As Usual, I Need More Bookshelves

Now, just to give you some extra evidence that I'm a total book nerd, I was at Target the other looking at the books (as I always do) and heard a woman muttering under her breath as she looked for the book about bees. Now maybe normal people would just go along, but not me. I feel duty bound to help people find books. So I suggested she might be looking for The Secret Life of Bees (she was). This is the power of book bloggers people....I know that happens to be a bestselling book, but we are influencers for books even out there in that thing called the real world! We are so well informed from keeping up with each other's blogs that we know about books. Anyway...

Second bit of evidence is that when I went to see a life changing movie (if you've read this blog for any length of time you might know what I'm talking about, but probably not) and a preview came on, I knew within one second what it was for...Angels and Demons, which I read a few years ago.

What's your recent book nerd evidence?

Guest Blog: Frog Fight by Jessica Inclan

mypalamy@gmail.com — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 02:00:04 -0600

(Dear readers, from time to time I welcome guest blogs from authors. I have not read any of Jessica's books, but I have read this post and really enjoyed it. I will explain more about why I do this in the future--for now, enjoy Jessica's post!)

The truth is—and we know it—real relationships are always harder than romance relationships. And this is true, even if our characters are separated by different worlds, kept apart by angry aliens, as Darl and Claire are in my latest novel Intimate Beings.

Yes, they think that minor difficulty is a problem, but they haven’t lived with each other for years, dealing with the minutiae of modern life. Aliens, shmaliens.

Let me tell you about a real relationship issue. One night as my boyfriend Michael and I were stuck in commuter traffic heading back from the gym, moving toward the Caldecott Tunnel and Oakland, I heard something other than the whir and push off way too many cars trying to funnel into two small lanes. I stopped our conversation and said, "Is that noise frogs?"

Unrolling the car window, we realized that the noise that had beat its way through closed car windows was a chorus of frogs. Hundreds, probably thousands of them on the side of Highway 24. The sound was amazing--guttural amphibians on steroids croaking out slight whiny squeaky croaks. The recent rains must have pooled enough to allow for this wild renegade western town of frogs to pop up.

So we were both as quiet as we could be and despite the highway noise, listened. I turned back to my boyfriend and said, "Can you believe that? Isn't that amazing?"

In the pause, the frog song filled the car. And he said, 'Yeah, if you like frogs."

With that sentence, an evening worth of slightly heated and upset words followed.

That's all it took. Well, more followed, but it started with frogs.

How is it that anyone manages to ever live with another person? Much less sit in a car with someone else for a prolonged period of time, especially a person who doesn’t think frogs are amazing? We are all so vulnerable and prickly, with feelings and issues and soft spots. We should be wearing pillows strapped around our bodies, helmets, and earplugs just to get through the day unscathed by human verbal sally.

Or maybe that's me. Maybe I haven't learned half the lessons I need to. I keep trying, of course, but when the man I love doesn't like frogs?

Are the frogs me? No. Do I really care that he doesn't like frogs? No. But I want him to be enthused about my enthusiasms. I want Michael to accept unequivocally my passions and interests and loves. I want that support, even if it’s for a renegade frog colony. I expect this, we expect this, and I am sure it's unrealistic.

What does he want? He wants me to be a little less touchy. To let him get away with some gaffs now and again. To pay attention to his feelings.

So our discussion went from frogs, to work, to family, to sitting in our living room working on our relationship. Neither of us wants to go the way of our former marriages. We fear the hidden angers that seep under the carpet of everyday life and rot the floorboards. We don’t want resentment and anger and repressed desires to ruin this very special love we’ve found. But how easy it is to not do the work needed. How easy to let all this feeling and hurt go into a room and sulk for years and years until it grows into a giant, a teenager with enormous limbs, pimples, and a big voice.

“I’m leaving home,” the teenager roars. “You just don’t understand me!”

Frogs did not lead to rotting floorboards or pimply, out-of-control teenagers. Instead, we had a glass of wine, watched the rest of The Number 23, which I don't recommend. But the film has a happily ever after ending, to a certain extent, and so does my frog story. The frogs pushed us toward discussion, toward more closeness, even if Michael doesn’t love the sound of their early spring cries, even though I still wish he did.

My advice? When you hear frogs, open the window and listen. They are telling you something, whether you like their song or not.

Confessions of a Shopaholic Movie...Will It Be Any Good?

mypalamy@gmail.com — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:35:58 -0600

It might surprise you to learn, but I adore Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella. I don't want to hear any lectures. I think it's delightful and fun and romantic and did I mention fun?

And having some small shopaholic tendencies myself, I just really get these books.

As always, I'm a little unsure of the movie...I'm not thrilled with the casting of Isla Fisher. For another, why does it have to be American? And for a third, the plot seems drastically different.

I'm afraid it's going to be like The Nanny Diaries. A cute movie in and of itself but not nearly as rich as the book and sort of missing the whole point.

What do you other Shopaholic fans think?

Review: The Almost Archer Sisters by Lisa Gabriele

mypalamy@gmail.com — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 01:41:01 -0600

About the Book: Georgia "Peachy" Archer always thought she was happy with her choices in life: quitting college, marrying young, raising two boys in the same small town where she grew up. But just as Peachy's life is beginning to settle into a careful routine, her sister's life begins to dangerously unravel.

Beth Archer chose a different life: fancy apartment in Manhattan, fancy friends, making lots of money. She's been on her own since she was a teenager, and she's still on her own, outgrowing dress styles and boyfriends faster than Peachy can inherit them. But on a visit home one weekend, Beth upends everything Peachy thought she knew about being happy.

My Review: I generally enjoy a good story that explores the dynamics of sibling relationships, particularly sisters as we women are so complex and I am both a woman and a sister. So when this book was offered to me for review, I eagerly accepted.

The endorsements on the book all say that is a funny book, even going so far as to say hilarious. And I have a hunch it has been classified as chick lit...of the humorous sort. I think all of those things have done a disservice to this book, in fact, I had to step away from it before reviewing because I was set up to expect a much different book than I received.

The Almost Archer Sisters is the story of a deeply complicated and messy sibling relationship. One frought with a painful past and a present that is based on unknowing envy. Peachy's life is hard. She gave up her dreams for her family and has a child with special needs that demands extra attention. She begins to imagine the possibilities of doing something to shake up this life when it is shaken for her. And so she takes some time strictly for herself to see what she wants to do.

In many ways, this book is quite dark. There are no rose gardens here, just a bunch of flawed people trying to make their way and love each other in the way they best know. While I certainly kept turning the pages, I had a hard time really liking any of the characters. I could feel some sympathy for Beth and actually quite a bit for Peachy, but I also felt they each were at least somewhat aware of what they could do differently to make their lives better yet they were unwilling to do it.

In the end, this is the story of reclaiming oneself, and it's an engaging read, but it's also a serious read. If you enjoy books with these sorts of messy and complicated relationships than you might also enjoy this one.

(please note this is a general market book with considerable language)

Throw out 50 Things Challenge

mypalamy@gmail.com — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:09:59 -0600

I'm joining Monica's Declutter Challenge. The good Lord knows I need it. I probably have 50 things in my wardrobe alone that could go.

I have a hard time parting with things, but alas, with times as they are it's best to declutter and simplify and live with only what we need. (and stacks of books of course...but I need those)

I'll try to update on here...maybe give you a chance to win some of my junk! :)

Please Take This Poll about Giveaways

mypalamy@gmail.com — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:54:41 -0600

Due to all the hoopla this week in the book blogging community, I'm developing some pledges to my readers and to authors. They will be different. However, first I need your opinion on somethings. Here's the first one:

Does It Bother You If I Offer a Giveaway of a Book I Haven't Read? ( surveys)

Book Excerpt: Godly Love: A Rose Planted in the Desert of our Hearts by Stephen G. Post

mypalamy@gmail.com — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 15:04:36 -0600

It's the 15th, time for the Non~FIRST blog tour!(Non~FIRST will be merging with FIRST Wild Card Tours on January 1, 2009...if interested in joining, click HERE!)

The feature author is:

Stephen G. Post

and his book:

Godly Love: A Rose Planted in the Desert of our Hearts

Templeton Foundation Press (September 26, 2008)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Stephen G. Post has spent a lifetime studying love in its theological, scientific, and practical dimensions. He is president of the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love (IRUL) and professor of bioethics and family medicine in the School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Post has published one hundred thirty articles in peerreviewed journals and has written or edited fifteen scholarly books on subjects relating to the dynamic of love in our lives. His most recent book is Why Good Things Happen to Good People, coauthored with Jill Neimark. Dr. Post has chaired nine national conferences in his field and has received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Board of the Alzheimers Association. He lives in Shaker Heights, Ohio, with his wife, Mitsuko, and their two children, Emma and Andrew.

Product Details

List Price: $12.95
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Templeton Foundation Press (September 26, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1599471515
ISBN-13: 978-1599471518

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Godly Love and Human Hatreds

In March 2007 I had the honor of spending several days north of Paris with the great Jean Vanier, then in his early eighties. Jean had founded L’Arche (“The Ark”) some four decades earlier, when he was inspired by an experience of Godly love to invite two men with cognitive developmental disabilities into his home. Over the years, L’Arche homes have flourished worldwide as volunteers dwell with the disabled in communities of faith, prayer, and Godly love. I had attended meals in L’Arche homes in Cleveland on a number of occasions, and I had heard the grace said before eating, the hymns sung, and the energy of love that was palpable in the lives of those caregivers and in the experience of those they cared for and lived with.

Jean struck me as one of the most loving, Godly, and humble men I had ever met. He spoke quietly and brilliantly, and he exuded an infectious sense of fun. On one Sunday evening there was a Catholic Mass in an old renovated chapel from the fourteenth century. About one hundred people had gathered there, mostly L’Arche volunteers and people with disabilities. I saw a volunteer wheel one older man named David up to the priest for communion. That night, at dinner, I asked Jean what he thought David had gotten from receiving communion, for David was probably the most severely disabled and agitated person I had encountered there. Jean said, “Whenever David receives communion, he becomes more peaceful, and that is the power of God’s love. Remember, Stephen, we do not know much about the mystery of God’s love and presence.” Jean’s pure, enduring, and expansive love clearly encompassed such a severely disabled man, and counted him among God’s blessed.

Evil in God’s Name

When I encounter a man like Jean Vanier, I feel that we must all stop thinking of God as the epitome of awesome power and strength in the conventional sense. This convention may be partly true, but we need to set it aside; otherwise, we begin to think of God primarily in terms of might, and human arrogance propels us into thinking that because my God is stronger than your God, violence is justified in God’s name. If we think about God in terms of power, then religions become tainted with human arrogance. Far too many prayerful people are carrying rifles in the spirit of pure hatred and pretending that their hatred is somehow divinely sanctioned. This amounts to shallow religiosity, which only causes pain and undermines Godly love. The Lord of power and might is first and foremost the author and giver of all good things, the Divine Entity who nourishes us in love and brings forth from us good works.

We need to stop thinking that our definitions of God are finite and that our knowledge of God’s will is total. Our definitions, even if divinely inspired, are still products of the human mind, and we can never fully understand the Divine. Religious doctrines, if adhered to arrogantly, tend to separate us from one another and shatter the unifying spirit of Godly love that all spirituality seeks to cultivate. When religions place doctrine and force above love, they foment massive evil—from torture to terror, from coercion to conflict. Religious wars exemplify human tribalism and arrogance, both of which bring out the worst in us.

Hatred, hostility, and revenge are such strong emotions that they can crush our fragile sense of Godly love. The pseudospirituality of hatred runs counter to all genuine spirituality, which is always an adventure in love, an expression of love’s deepest desires.

Countering Hatred with Godly Love

The love of power can sometimes overwhelm the power of love, so we must remain humble and guard against this. No matter how little we know about God, we can still experience Godly love. Only by taking Godly love much more seriously than we do now—even inculcating a profound love for one another among ancient, sworn enemies—can we expect to head off a spiral of widespread destruction.

Most of religion and spirituality is rooted in healing emotions, grounded in love. We will never achieve sustained peace in the twenty-first century unless all religions live up to those intrinsic ideals of Godly love, applying those ideals to all of humankind without exception.

The world shows no signs of becoming any less religious; we as humans will always have a passion for Ultimate Truth that provides safe haven and emotional security in times of distress. Yet we will only have a human future if we infuse universal Godly love into the rituals that religions create, and express through our actions spiritual emotions such as forgiveness and compassion. If our religions fail to promote universal Godly love, violence will sweep us all away in a cataclysmic firestorm.

Promoting Harmony and Peace

Godly love alone can realign the world in harmony and peace. Too many kill in God’s name, claiming that they alone know the destiny God intends for humankind. Our limited human knowledge of any divinely inspired destiny to be played out on the human stage belies this specious—and dangerous—claim.

Love is the source of our greatest happiness and security; therefore love is the Ultimate Good, the Supreme Good. Nothing else comes close, for love underlies the creative energy that propels us from birth to death. The withholding of love drives to destruction those deprived of love’s nurturing, its compassion, and its life-giving blessings. This occurs most notably in critical developmental periods during childhood. And it holds just as true for a child in a nursery as it does for an older adult in a hospice.

Our religions, which offer models of righteous living, must put into practice their visions of Godly love, or they risk becoming sidelined, or, worse, irrelevant.

Faith 'n Fiction Saturday: Reviewing

mypalamy@gmail.com — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:24:14 -0600

The past couple of days there has been a big flare-up in the broader book blogging community regarding review policies and a blogger's obligation to an author once they've received a review copy. For those of you who belong to the blogging alliance FIRST, we've also discussed this issue a little bit.

I decided to make today's question about this, because I think this is an even tougher situation for Christian reviewers who review Christian books. So here goes...do you receive review copies of Christian books? If so, do you review them honestly? How do you handle it when you don't like a book but are obligated to provide a review? Who do you see your first commitment being to in book reviewing (besides God)? Yourself? The author? Your readers? Does your review change based on the spiritual content of the book or is it solely based on technical or artistic merit? Have you ever had a negative experience with an author after giving them a negative review? (please don't name names)

My Answer:
I receive a lot of review copies of Christian books and am thrilled to help promote them in most cases. The market for Christian books is much smaller and so I often feel I want to do what I can to help these many talented and lovely authors find readers for their books. I take this commitment to them very seriously. On the flip side of that, I work very hard on this blog. This blog is my hobby, but I spend a considerable amount of time on it. I work hard to make it a place that people want to visit. And as obligated and thrilled as I am to help authors, I am equally committed to providing authentic reviews to my readers. They are often the ones who will be shelling out the money for a book, and I want them to feel like they can trust me to speak truthfully.

I hate having to give any negative reviews, but especially for Christian books. However, I do feel that while I am committed to authors and readers, my number one commitment here is to myself. I give honest reviews because that is how I can sleep at night. I give honest reviews because if I genuinely love a book, it's that author that I want to see get a lot of sales and that kind of book I hope will continue to be published. And I give negative or less than glowing reviews to books that fail to meet the expectation I have when I pick up the book.

Having said that, I do give what I consider to be gentle reviews--consistent with my overall tone on this blog. I do try to find an author's strengths. I do consider if I am the intended audience for the book. And then I hit publish and hope others have given positive reviews to offset my not so positive one for the sake of the author.

I have to admit that if I disagree with an author's strongly stated theological viewpoint, I will probably like the book less. This only applies to Christian fiction, though, where I often have the expectation that we will think similarly. This standard usually doesn't apply to general market fiction, although if gm fiction is too political I will probably like it less.

I have had authors comment on my negative reviews and they have all been so wonderfully gracious that it's made me so proud to know they are out there writing Christian fiction. They speak well for this little area of the book market and I'm so thankful we have them. They are certainly writing books that others are enjoying (if not me) and constantly improving their craft.

Your Turn:
Please add the permalink to your post below.
Please link back to this post so others can easily navigate back and forth.

Faith 'n Fiction Button!

mypalamy@gmail.com — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:23:38 -0600

Huge huge thanks to MizB of Should Be Reading for creating this button.

To use it, please hit right click and save to your computer. Thanks all!

Oh, Harry! Why Did They Put You Off Until July????

mypalamy@gmail.com — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:03:28 -0600

Okay, you all know that I love Harry Potter, but I actually got goosebumps watching this, especially when Harry yells, "Fight back, you coward!"

I know without a doubt this will be the most emotional one to watch yet b/c of what happens. While Twilight fans are getting their Edward fix next weekend, I'll still be bummed we aren't watching Harry Potter.

Review: In Hovering Flight by Joyce Hinnefeld

mypalamy@gmail.com — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:09:28 -0600

About the Book: At 34, Scarlet Kavanagh has the kind of homecoming no child wishes, a visit back to family and dear friends for the gentle passing of her mother, Addie, a famous bird artist and an even more infamous environmental activist. Though Addie and her husband, ornithologist Tom Kavanagh, have made their life in southeastern Pennsylvania, Addie has chosen to die at the New Jersey home of her dearest friend, Cora. This is because the Kavanagh's ramshackle cottage is filled with too much history and because, in the last ten years or so, and for reasons that are not entirely clear, even bird song has seemed to make Addie angry, or sad, or both. Now, in their final moments together, Scarlet hopes to put to rest the last tensions that have marked their relationship.

My Review: This is the kind of book that reminds me why I love to read. I read many books, and enjoy most of them, but every once in awhile one comes along that uses something completely unknown to me (bird song and birds in general) to explore familiar life themes and relationships. I love that in a book, because it allows me to learn something and see things through new eyes.

But this book is even more than that. It's so completely gorgeous from it's very unique and beautiful cover to the the prose and rich characters. This story is told in a fragmented timeline, alternating between Addie's field journals and various character points of view and through conversations. But it's the kind of book I didn't want to put down and couldn't wait to get back to, because I needed to revisit these characters and see why their lives had taken the directions they did and how they continued to deal with it.

Exploring family relationships and the conflict between artistic passion and family love, this book takes us deep inside the lives of all three Kavanaghs and by the end I felt I knew these people. I also sort of wanted to go bird watching. Highly, highly recommended.

Joyce Hinnefeld has a pretty fantastic website here. You can read some sample chapters and find a playlist there and everything. Dawn of She is Too Fond of Books has a great post about the cover art at Unbridled Books here.

If you are participating in the Buy Books for the Holidays campaign, I think this book would make a FANTASTIC gift. It's the perfect kind of book to gift, because it is so beautiful in and of itself. But also it's such an enjoyable and touching read, that your recipient is sure to enjoy it. Go buy it now.

Review: One Holy Night by J.M. Hochstetler

mypalamy@gmail.com — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:30:43 -0600

About the Book: For these uncertain times . . .
a deeply moving miracle story
for all seasons

As on that holy night so long ago ... in a world torn by sin and strife ... to a family that has suffered heart wrenching loss ... there will be born a baby ...

My Review: I'm a little bit torn on what to say about this book exactly. I got pretty attached to the characters and enjoyed reading about their daily lives throughout a year that was very difficult for them. I was encouraged by their deep faith, and I grieved when they did. Having said that, this book is overtly Christian. There isn't really any symbolism it's all spelled out for you. A lot of the book took place through conversations between the characters about their faith. At times, this felt like a little too much. And at other times, I felt like there was just a bit too many issues tackled for one small book. Having said that, I did genuinely enjoy it.

Oh and one more thing...I wouldn't exactly call this is a Christmas book despite the title.

Check it out on Amazon.

Some Noteworthy Links

mypalamy@gmail.com — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:33:39 -0600

While I keep a shared items box on my sidebar, I do like to pull out the really fun and good stuff from time to time.

First and most important...do you like Christmas books? If so, please consider participating in the Friendly Book Nook's Christmas book swap. Read about it here.

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The Bloggable Music Network has its own blog now and I hear next week there will be a free album download for bloggers so check it out!

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Did you see the movie Blood Diamond? Did it make you think differently about how diamonds are obtained? Did you know that coltan...what's used in your cell phones, laptops, etc. also often finances rebel groups that are committing terrible acts in the Congo right now? Read Laura's very informative post with information about what you can do about it here.

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Can you tell the difference between Shakespeare and the Bible? Find out here! (HT:Brant)

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One of the cutest things ever I've read about Kat's kids.

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Jen from Daily Mish Mash has truly outdone herself. If you're not reading her blog, why not?? This is one of the best posts I've read in a long time. Very funny stuff. Oh and if you're a Twilight fan you'll really want to click over.

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Julie Lessman is not only one of my favorite authors, she occasionally blogs at Seekerville. (a collaborative blog of contest entering authors) and what she writes always really touches me. Here's her most recent post.

Booking Through Thursday: Why Buy?

mypalamy@gmail.com — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:22:01 -0600

I’ve asked, in the past, about whether you more often buy your books, or get them from libraries. What I want to know today, is, WHY BUY?

Even if you are a die-hard fan of the public library system, I’m betting you have at least ONE permanent resident of your bookshelves in your house. I’m betting that no real book-lover can go through life without owning at least one book. So … why that one? What made you buy the books that you actually own, even though your usual preference is to borrow and return them?

If you usually buy your books, tell me why. Why buy instead of borrow? Why shell out your hard-earned dollars for something you could get for free?

Well, it took me three posts to explain why I don't use the library, and you can visit them for futher background on that. Post 1, Post 2, Post 3

But yes, I buy books. I love books. I like the way they look on my shelf (currently stacked instead of upright, lol) I like the feeling of wandering around the bookstore and picking one out and yes the instant gratification of ordering one online right after I read a review.

I also love to support the authors I love. I like to know that if I want to read a book, it's already languishing there in my TBR pile and I don't have to hunt it down. Buying books makes me happy in a way few other purchases do. (except for maybe like a new Andrew Peterson cd)

I do give books away, but I think there's a chance I'd like to read it again, I keep it.

Review: The Lady Flees Her Lord by Michele Ann Young + Giveaway

mypalamy@gmail.com — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:56:35 -0600

About the Book: She's desperate for peace and safety...
Lucinda, Lady Denbigh, is running from a husband who physically and emotionally abuses her because she is unfashionably plump and has failed to produce an heir. Posing as a widow, she seeks refuge in the quiet countryside...

He's returned from the wars, wounded and tormented...
Lord Hugo Wanstead, with a wound that won't heal, and his mother's and Spanish wife's deaths on his conscience, finds his estate impoverished, his sleep torn by nightmares, and brandy his only solace. When he meets Lucinda, he finds her beautiful - ;body and soul - ;and thinks she just might give him something to live for ...

Together they can begin to heal, but not until she is free from her violent past...

My Review: I don't get much time to read romance novels, but I do enjoy them when I can feel for the hero and heroine. If I feel like I can root for them, I'm in! And I loved this book.

From the first pages when Lucinda's husband was trying to starve her to death because he thought she was too chubby, I was a hundred percent on her side to find a man who appreciated her! Lucinda was likeable in many ways and showed individuality and strength for the very many difficult situations she found herself in. And Hugo was also an interesting character being a man haunted by his past with a strong conscience to do the right thing by his people.

This book was made further enjoyable because the writing was lovely and everytime I had to put it down, I looked forward to being able to pick it up again.

Since I review a lot of Christian fiction, I feel I should mention that this is a general market romance.

Sourcebooks Casablanca has agreed to give one lucky reader a copy of this book! If you would like to win, leave a comment on this post. If you would like a second entry, please leave a comment on Michele's guest post here. For a third entry, blog about this contest with a link back to this post.

If you are participating in the Buy Books for the Holidays campaign, I think this would make a great gift for anyone in your life who likes a good romance!

Buy the book.

Why Not? My Two Cents on Today's Controversy

mypalamy@gmail.com — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:57:15 -0600

Yes, I know I never finished my series on the Tension in Book Blogging. I still plan to. But as it turns out,discussions about the relationship between authors and independent book bloggers pops up every few weeks when an author has a negative reaction to a review.

Okay folks, here's what I think. First some quick points.

A book sent for review does not guarantee a positive review.
A negative review is not necessarily a bad thing. (or the end of the world)
I love (most) book bloggers.
I love (most) authors.

And now the heart of what I want to say. (which is bound to be met with disagreement) When you're worked really hard on something, it's hard to hear negative feedback about it. It is very easy to be a critic. It is very hard to read something written about your work that is less than what you hoped for or takes your intentions into doubt. And it takes extraordinary willpower to ignore someone when you feel like they misunderstood you. But they are entitled to their opinion and they are unlikely to completely change their mind. However, your response will greatly determine what they think of you and say about you to others. So authors, when this happens, my suggestion is to either graciously accept this one person's opinion, or don't read any reviews.

I'm not done.

Bloggers--when you've written a negative review and an author attacks you, my suggestion is to ignore it. Just let it go.

What I don't want to see happening is a battle between bloggers and authors. It doesn't make the book community look good at all. We all have a common love of books and a desire to share our reading experiences. But when we drag on these wars between authors and bloggers, I don't think we're really doing anyone a service. So bloggers, in other words, let's take the higher road.

Disagree? I know you're out there. Don't be shy, tell me why!

Guest Blog: Michele Ann Young

mypalamy@gmail.com — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 04:00:00 -0600

I'm delighted to have Michele Ann Young blogging today! I really enjoyed her romance novel, The Lady Flees Her Lord and will be posting my review later today. Enjoy her fantastic writing in this post until then. :)

One of the questions I get asked most as a writer is: Where do you get your ideas?

A simple enough question. Not rocket science. After all, I am the one getting the ideas. It’s easy to be flip and say something of the sort my Victorian grandmother said to my mother when she asked where babies came from — “under a gooseberry bush”. Not exactly helpful, but in a way almost accurate.

Now I expect most people think writers belong in Bedlam, you know that insane asylum they had in the Regency. If you were the slightest bit odd they put you in there. And with an answer like the one above, I have probably confirmed your suspicions, about me, anyway.

So I will try to do better. What about the idea of “light-bulb moments”? We all have those. That would be a great way to describe inspiration and ideas. The arrival of an idea fully formed and plucked from the air, ready to go. Well I certainly do have some of those. They usually come just before I fall asleep, and I have to struggle to write them down, or if I’m all warm and cosy perhaps I will just repeat them over and over until I am sure I won’t forget. It’s a bit like counting sheep. They send me off to sleep and sometimes in the morning they don’t look at all bright and shiny. But sometimes they really are brilliant.

These though, are usually, small ideas. Solutions to plot problems, a snippet of conversation, a wonderful metaphor that will strike fear into the hearts of the Margaret Attwoods of the world (until the next morning as I already explained). These are not really the idea for the story.

Where do those bigger ideas come from? I seriously am thinking about planting a gooseberry bush in my back garden. No. No. The story ideas, the themes, well they come from many places, a newspaper article that touches my heart and that stays with me for longer than most bits of news, a history book with a brief mention of an event or a person that catches my imagination, a sunny day in the forest, a winter’s night. I have a whole story that ends in such a night waiting to be told. It was the smell of fresh snow that set the idea going.

I write novels set two hundred years ago, so how can I use events from today? Well, as I am sure you have noticed, the human condition, doesn’t change all that much. There is progress in society, law, order, education, science, all those good things. But individuals still suffer from greed, jealousy, love (thank goodness), they act from motives of revenge and from ignorance, even when we know so much more today than we did in the Regency. So I can take a modern day occurrence and set it in the Regency and say what if? And thats how ideas start to form.

Sadly, they don’t come neatly wrapped in foil paper with a bow. It is more like a jigsaw puzzle with only half the picture on each piece. Fitting it together is very time consuming and yes...puzzling. Worse yet, I always get too many pieces and I have to throw some of them away. Those are usually the easy ones, the ones with a straight edge and three little bumps. The ones I keep, that make the story interesting, are those strange misshapen four-sided ones with odd little pointy bits. Are you starting to wonder if I really belong in Bedlam?

I think you will get lots of different answers from different authors to this question. Some will give you the gooseberry bush answer, because they don’t want to look crazy, and some will try to explain, and realize they are crazy. One thing I do find is that much of the inner story, what makes my characters act as they do, evolves from the characters themselves. But, you say, you invented those character.

Well yes. And...no. I don’t consciously set out to create a history for my characters. It is a subconscious process for me. A slow unveiling. This can be quite infuriating, when they don’t tell you something important until you get to the end of the book and you have to go back and fix the whole darn thing. But how the characters act and their beliefs drive the story forward and eventually allows for a happy ending.

So now you know where the ideas come from. Ummm. The gooseberry bush is looking more and more inviting, do you think?

Review: The Book (Bible Illuminated)

mypalamy@gmail.com — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:22:18 -0600

Now that I've had a chance to take a look at the finished product, I'm even more impressed. I think it's challenging to take something like the Bible which is so deeply revered by so many people and change it up while staying true to its content. I do think The Book succeeds. The entire New Testament is there in the easily digestable Good New Translation.
I would call this a fresh interpretation of the Bible. It's obviously not like reading your own personal Bible as gorgeous and stunning photograpy has been added, certain verses have been given more attention and highlighted, and the numbering of verses has been removed. I do think it would make a lovely piece to add to a coffee table, or even for someone trying to read the Bible for the first time. My only complaint is that this gorgeous book is exactly like a magazine....I think many people would gladly purchase a sturdier glossy hardcover for more longevity.

If you are participating in the Buy Books for the Holidays campaign, I think this would make an excellent gift for any churchgoing folk you know or anyone with an interest in specialized books.

Blog Tour: One Year Women's Friendship Devotional

mypalamy@gmail.com — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:50:13 -0600

The One-Year Women’s Friendship Devotional (Tyndale) is the latest book from friends and coauthors Cheri Fuller and Sandra Aldrich. Not only does the text provide a deeper connection to and enjoyment of God and His Word, but it is a wonderful opportunity for today’s busy women to connect with each other as they discuss the short daily devotions and the “To Ponder” questions at the end of each week’s section. Perfect for small groups or two girlfriends meeting over coffee, the devotional also is appropriate for those who prefer individual study.

What can women gain from The One-Year Women’s Friendship Devotional?

Sandra: The One-Year Women’s Friendship Devotional is designed for today’s busy woman. Each of the 365 devotions are on one page and contain a daily Scripture, short devotional thought from either Cheri or me and end with an honest prayer and an insightful quote. At the end of each week are questions to ponder individually or talk over with a friend. But beyond the friendship connection is our heavenly Father’s invitation to know more about Him and His living Word.

Cheri: One of the benefits of our One Year devotional is it provides a vehicle to discover your natural rhythm for drawing near to God in a personal and regular way. For right-brained people like me, the structure helps me stay in God’s Word day by day so my roots can grow deeper in Christ. Being a lover of people, I also enjoy exchanging ideas and discussing how a certain verse or story spoke to me, and the weekly questions are ideal for that purpose.

What’s the target audience for The One-Year Women’s Friendship Devotional?

Sandra and Cheri: This devotional is written for women of all ages. Some of the illustrations deal with situations young career women face, and some touch a woman’s experience during mid-life. But all age groups will find material that will relate to their life and situations.

What are some of the topics covered?

Sandra: The 52 weekly themes cover many issues of a woman’s life, including career challenges, the power of encouragement, joyful living, hearing God above life’s roar, when your childhood family is toxic, faith building, avoiding overload, attitude adjustments, finding your spiritual pathway, dealing with stress, wading through grief, telling and hearing truth, making a difference, dealing with Christmas frenzy, a fresh-brewed prayer life, freedom from fear, and reaching a hurting world.

Does the reader need to start reading the devotional on January 1?
Sandra: No. This devotional isn’t about performance; it’s about connections. One of our weekly themes is about guilt, and we don’t want to add more to our readers’ stress-filled lives.

Cheri: One of the helpful facets of The One Year Women’s Friendship Devotional is that you can jump in and start any day, wherever you are—which is very much how God graciously interacts with us. We don’t have to get to a certain place to experience his grace. In this book, there is encouragement, hope, and inspiration for every day of the year—whatever age or stage you are currently in.

Talk about that power of story.

Sandra: We have a perfect example of the power of story as we look to the parables of Jesus. He tucked spiritual points into stories of people and situations His audiences could identify with. And they remembered the lesson because they remembered the stories.

Cheri: Stories are what impacts a heart. Stories are what we remember. The concepts and truths are vital, but I’ve often learned the most from stories of living people I meet, people from the Bible and throughout history—especially missionaries who lived on the edge of adventure, often with no one to depend on but God. So I love to weave stories into the devotionals or other writing I do.

The One-Year Women’s Friendship Devotional provides connection in this fragmented world—connection to other women and, most importantly, connection to our heavenly Father. The quickest way to order it is through amazon.com. For more information about Cheri Fuller or Sandra Aldrich visit their websites at www.cherifuller.com or www.sandraaldrich.com And remember: the heavenly Father is just a whisper away.

If you are participating in the Buy Books for the Holidays campaign, this would make a great gift for a good friend from church or a friend in your small group. Consider it!

What's Your Favorite Comfort Food?

mypalamy@gmail.com — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 04:00:01 -0600

Once upon a time I used to review books! And I do have some coming for you, but did you know that between answering emails, reading other blogs, and indulging in a little guilty pleasure television watching it's hard to squeeze in time for reviews of books? And this is my last night at home this week. Gah.

Which leads me to...it's actually been cool the last couple of evenings! Feels like fall! And that makes me think of comfort foods.

I like chai. (not a food really, huh?) followed closely by pasta with red meat sauce or lasagna....what about you?