3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires: Books

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The LEGO Build-It Book, Vol. 1: Amazing Vehicles

Thank you to No Starch Press for providing a complimentary copy of this book to base this review upon. All opinions expressed are my own.

Lego’s have been part of my life since before I was the age my kids are now (6, 6, and 9). I am sure many of you are in the same situation and understand my thrill to see my kids enjoying a toy that was also such a huge part of my own childhood.

Whenever I get a chance to check out a LEGO product I jump at it. Recently we received the LEGO Build-It Book (Volume 1): Amazing Vehicles and I was excited. Not only did I get to play with LEGOs, I had a grown up excuse to do it!

The Amazing Vehicles Book includes 10 sets of instructions for some very cool vehicles ranging from race cars to a baby stroller (that's right, a baby stroller!). As I expected, the instructions were colorful and precise. The book spends a few pages making sure readers understand some of the building concepts using a comic like style and layout. Although the book is slightly geared towards adolescent readers, it's definitely not too young for adult LEGO enthusiasts.

I started by heading out to my local LEGO store to buy all the parts I needed using the provided parts list. I estimated the parts would cost me less than $15. We own thousands of LEGOs already, but I thought it would be a nice touch to use the exact parts and colors used in the book.

Although I was able to get a few of the parts required at the store, they didn't have what I needed and the trip was mostly in vain (can a trip to a LEGO store ever truly be in vain?). I went home deciding I was going to use what I had and make the best of it. But isn't that part of the charm of playing with LEGO ? For the record, LEGO's Pick A Brick is an excellent online service where I could have ordered every single part I needed, but I felt like a kid again and wanted to play right away!

I’m going to cut to the chase and state I was not able to finish any of the projects in the book. The book's instructions were superb and easy to follow and 95% of the parts required are mostly common, but in the end I didn't have enough to finish anything. At first I was feeling like I failed in some way, but then I realized something: I just played with LEGOs for a few hours and had a blast. And I am 43 years old!

After my attempts at making some cool vehicles, my kids weren't impressed and had me step aside, it was pro time. My 6 year old son Luke made his own interpretations of some of the book's designs.

Whether I finished any of the projects in the book is secondary to the fact that I had a blast trying. I felt like a 7 year old again pushing through my kids' mountains of LEGOs looking for that perfect piece or color. This LEGO Build-It Book book is an excellent guide and reference for any level of builder and I heartily recommend it. What an excellent companion to a LEGO kit for a gift. If you want a gift that's truly unique, order all the parts at Pick A Brick to go along with the book for a flawless LEGO experience!

You can learn more about LEGO Build-It Book (Volume 1): Amazing Vehicles at Shop.Oreilly.com. This paperback book retails for $19.95 and just $21.95 for both the paperback and the ebook.

Building a Home Library For Young Avid Readers

When I was a young child, I remember going to our local free public library about once a week with my family. My parents thought reading was important and that was their way of encouraging my sister and I to read. Also, it didn't hurt that it didn't cost them anything but their time.

Since our lives are so busy and hectic, we actually rarely have time to go to the library, except during summer vacation. I find it easier to just order books for my children through their school to support their classrooms and to shop for books online. I buy the most books for our oldest son, who is currently 9. Even at an early age, he was an avid reader. I actually do not mind buying books for him because he loves them so much and these books will get passed down to his two younger siblings.

It seemed like overnight that our son went from reading his first book with chapters to reading books written for 7th and 8th graders. I quickly realized that I should not bother buying him books that were under 150 pages, otherwise he would finish the book in one sitting. Now most of the books I buy for him are 300+ pages long. Another thing I started to realize is that longer books also cost more, even in paperback. That's when I transitioned from buying new books to shopping for bargain books and like-new used books whenever possible. This was a big step for me because I rarely feel comfortable with buying anything used, aside from cars and wood furniture. I have to admit that it has worked out well for us. My son still enjoys the books just as much as if I had not paid a fraction of the price for them.

Were do you shop for books?

Holiday 2011: "The Cult of LEGO" Book by Baichtal and Meno

When I was a young boy in the 70’s LEGOs weren’t just a toy, they were a way of life. Not only were LEGOs a standalone toy, we pretty much integrated them into any kind of play we did. How many times did we make vehicles and bases out if LEGOs for our Star Wars figures and army men? Countless times for sure. And now as a parent I can see my kids doing the same. LEGOs aren’t just toys; they are part of our culture and fondest playtime memories.

We recently received a copy of The Cult of LEGO book by No Starch Press and I couldn’t wait to open it up. The book is basically a complete history of everything LEGO, total mind candy for a LEGO nut like me.

The book takes you through nearly every aspect of LEGO history, from its development to modern day LEGO parks and fan clubs. As much as I was into LEGOs growing up, I had no idea how rich the history and culture really was or about the challenges and controversies the brand endured throughout its history. The Cult of LEGO takes you through every detail of LEGO you could imagine and a few you couldn’t.

The photos and diagrams in The Cult of LEGO are vivid and colorful. Although the reading level is targeted at young adults and above, my 8 year old son was very entertained by the pictures and their captions. I can see him revisiting the book many times.

Not only is The Cult of LEGO a very informative book about Lego history, it is also a testament to human creativity and cleverness. Some of the LEGO creations depicted in the book are mind boggling. Before reading this book I had no idea how far people had taken their LEGO creativity.

The Cult of LEGO book by No Starch Press would make the perfect gift for anybody who likes to tinker and develop; it is not just for LEGO fans. I certainly recommend this book. It is great fun and very informative. I totally relived my LEGO memories while reading it. This 304-page hardcover book retails for $39.95 and is currently available from No Starch Press for that price with a free PDF ebook version or from Amazon.com for $24.58 with Free Super Saver Shipping.

Thank you to No Starch Press for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Review: "Dark Fairies" by Dr. Bob Curran

“Walt Disney has a lot to answer for.” Or so thinks Dr. Bob Curran, author of Dark Fairies, a book highlighting the true, dark, and violent nature of fairies. In ancient times, fairies were not the Tinker Bell that we all visualize today, they were feared and never to be trusted. They were dangerous and unpredictable spirits that flitted about doing wicked things and were more commonly known as manifestations of demons, fallen angels that did the bidding of the Devil himself.

In Curran’s book, he goes into great historical detail about the history of these amazing, mysterious beings. Dark Fairies is split into four major parts: "The People of the Mounds", "The Host of the Gir", "The Dwellers in the Depths", and "Away with the Fairies". Each section goes into great detail and is very well written and researched. It even includes real-life stories from people who believe in or believe they had encounters with fairies, ghost stories of sort. One such person is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes. Doyle was an avid believer who even staged séances and had photos of what he believed strongly to be real fairies. The public, however, disagreed and thought his photos were staged.

I found this book to be very interesting and enlightening to the truth behind some of our “fairy tales” that I grew up with. It is very much steeped in fantasy, so it won’t be a favorite for everyone. For those interested in mythology, history, and/or fantasy, this is a fascinating read. Curran does a great job of telling these stories with credibility and his writing is very smooth.

You can find Curran's Dark Fairies at Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, and other major book retailers.

Thank you to Career Press for sending us a copy of this book free of charge to base this review upon.

Which is Your Favorite Guinness World Record of the Decade?

Do you remember the year 2000? Well, I sure do and it is difficult for me to wrap my mind around that fact that we are about to enter the year 2010. So much has happened this past year . . . never mind about this past decade.

Well, there is one book that records history like no other and that's the Guinness Book of World Records. I am excited to be able to review the 2010 edition soon and to share the wonders of the Guinness world with my kindergartner.

Svetlana Pankratova (Holds the record for World’s Longest Legs)

Right now, you can visit GuinnessWorldRecords.com to see which they consider to be the Top 100 Records of the Decade. Then you can place your vote for your favorite record breaker in each of ten categories. Hurry, because the polls close Christmas weekend!

Thank You to My Elf Amanda!

This year, the MomDot Community (run by Trisha Haas) was able to organize a Secret ~~Santa~~ Elf gift exchange. This was a great idea to boost morale and to strengthen a sense of community . . . not to mention that it was fun!

It turns out that my elf was Amanda, who authors Confessions from Householdsix. My gift arrived a few days ago and I did not wait one second to open it.

Amanda had managed to find one of the two books I had mentioned on my wishlist. It is the last book in a trilogy. I already own the first two, but have been waiting to read them until I could obtain the third book. I had been looking for this book for almost a year, so I owe Amanda a huge THANK YOU!!! She was also generous enough to include a Barnes & Noble gift card so I can continue my search for the other book on my wishlist.

I also would like to extend a big thank you to Tanya of Mommy Goggles for taking the time and the initiative to organize this online event.

Review: The Sorceress by Michael Scott

The Sorceress is the third in the series of fantasy books by author Michael Scott. What first drew my husband's and my attention to this book series is the recently released Alchemyst Game . . . Challenges of the Elder. Being a huge fan of fantasy and science fiction novels, my husband gladly volunteered to review this book.

Picking up where the first two books in the series The Alchemyst and The Magician left off, The Sorceress continues the tale of the good and the evil immortals who exist all around us without our knowledge. The couple Nicholas and Perenelle Fleming seek out the Twins (a.k.a. the Two that are One) in order to prevent the evil immortals from restoring the ways of a darker time when evil prevailed.

What my husband thought about this book:

1) His favorite character was Perenelle. She is the most complex character of the book. Her appeal is that she is perceived to be very powerful, both by the reader and the other characters in the book, but she is a human immortal who shows vulnerability despite her power.

2) My husband's favorite part of the book was the battle at the junk yard fortress. He thought Scott did an excellent job helping the reader visualize the battle.

3) He liked that there were references throughout the story of real life places and events. For example, the volcanic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius was explained to have been the result of a heated battle between the two sides of good and evil immortals.

4) He believed the author did well with writing the story so that the reader did not have any conflict about the possibility, no matter how minute, that immortals could actually exist all around us.

5) He found it to be an interesting character trait that the immortals have lived so long that each is knowledgeable about almost every language and dialect in existence. What was even more interesting was that the characters would revert back to the language they feel most comfortable with when they found themselves to be in a stressful situation.

6) Although he found it interesting, my husband thought the idea of famous people in history, such as Joan of Arc, Billy the Kid, and William Shakespeare, actually being immortal was overplayed. He thought maybe the mention of just one or two would have sufficed.

7) My husband thought the author did a good job easing the reader into the story in the beginning. You do not necessarily need to read the previous two books in the series to understand The Sorceress. However, he did think the book ended very abruptly. He felt that a few things should have been resolved even if there was still a cliffhanger at the end.

Overall, my husband enjoyed the book very much. He definitely would like to read Volumes 4 and 5 when they are available. Although he does not need to read the first two volumes, he definitely would not turn down a chance to read them both.

The Sorceress is now available to be ordered on RandomHouse.com . You can also find it locally and online in most places where fiction books are sold.

Thank you to Random House for providing us with a review product free of charge.

Giveaway & Review: Publish a Book on Blurb.com (5 Winners) [CLOSED]

Thanks to Blurb.com I now have a most cherished keepsake of my children. When I was offered a chance to review Blurb.com's book publishing services, I had many options before me. I considered making a photo book, a book of easy recipes, or writing and illustrating a children's storybook. I ended up choosing to make a blog book containing 1 year's worth of Silly Monkey Stories . . . a weekly blog meme I started in 2008 to document all the silly moments about my children. Click here to see an online preview of my book.

Creating a blog book was both easy and a lot of work at the same time. In short, I just downloaded the free Booksmart publishing software (which works for both a PC or a Mac), uploaded all my blog posts with the software, selected which posts I wanted to include, and then began the customization. That is when the real work began. Almost every aspect of the book is fully customizable as far as content and layout are concerned, including the cover and every single page of the book.

Before I get further into this review, I'd like to show you my two favorite parts of the book . . .

The Back Cover

The Introduction Page

What I thought about my blog book made on Blurb.com:

1) Since my book was over 50 pages long, it was a lot of work to customize each page, but the end result was worth it.

2) One problem I had was the images taken directly from my blog posts were small, so I had to shrink them down to make the resolution suitable for printing. One way to resolve this is to upload additional high resolution images and use those instead of the ones that were originally in your blog posts.

3) The images were conveniently able to be dragged and dropped right onto the pages you are currently working on.

4) I liked that you can amend the text after it has been taken from your blog.

5) I love that publishing your book through Blurb.com includes a copyright.

6) I liked how many options there are as far as book size, type of cover, type of papers, etc . . . enough options to fit any budget.

7) I opted to for the wrap around hardcover and higher quality paper. I do think it was worth the extra cost if you are creating a keepsake book like this.

8) I am extremely pleased with the final product. The printing is of the highest quality and there were no errors, nothing out of place, no graininess, and not one smudge.

9) I think it would be great if Blurb.com offered a less costly media rate for shipping.

After you've published your book, you have the option of making it public or keeping it private. If you make it public, then you can share the preview with others. You can also make your books available for purchase and add a mark-up to Blurb.com's base price. Every time your book sells, you earn however much you decided to mark-up your book. It is really a fun way to share your book, plus you can rightfully claim that you are a published author.

Thank you to Blurb.com for providing us with both a review item and contest prizes free of charge.

What you can win:
FIVE lucky readers will each win a $29.95 bookmaking code towards making and publishing their very own book on Blurb.com .

2) For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) Add this blog to your Technorati Favorites. Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so and under what username. Add to Technorati Favorites

4) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post and to the Blurb.com . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

5) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

6) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this as many times as you wish until the end of the contest.

7) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

8) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

9) Add my "Graco Twin Stroller" giveaway button to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

10) Add my "Get Cool For School" giveaway event button to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)

Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Monday, July 13th, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Father's Day Fling Giveaway: Cool Dad Prize Pack [CLOSED]

This prize pack is for the "cool" dad! There is something for everyone, including the new dad, the single dad, and the divorced dad. There will be 4 winners in all. (Please read on for details.)

Blogs participating in the 2009 Father's Day Fling:

Momstart

Life Starring Ellie and Eve

Blessings Abound

3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires

What you can win:

One GRAND PRIZE winner will receive all of the prizes listed below. Three RUNNER-UPS will receive the Divorced Dad Book.

Prize #1: A DadGear Messenger Diaper Bag (DadGear Diaper Bag Review)

Most diaper bags are made for women: flowery, bright, definitely not made for a cool dude. So, DadGear came with with a line of diaper bags made especially with guys in mind. They are heavy duty, tough, cool looking, and designed to carry everything a dad needs while still keeping his cool guy image intact. One lucky winner will receive a DadGear Messenger Bag of their choice (excluding the Billboard series).

For a limited time, you can save 15% off any DadGear order when you use Code: fling 15.

Prize #2: Being Dad DVDs (Being Dad DVD Review)

Babies don't come with instruction manuals, unless you count the unwanted advice that everyone seems to give you. But wouldn't it be cool if there was a kind of instruction manual for being a dad or for knowing what a expectant or new dad is thinking? Well, now there is with the Being Dad DVDsdvd set! Appreciated by dads, moms and doulas alike, these dvds help give a new or expectant father an idea of what their new role in life will be.

Prize #3: Humoirs of a Divorced Dad (Read the book review here)

With divorce becoming more and more common, that means there are more and more divorced dads out there. Learn about parenting the divorced dad way from Joel Schwartzberg the author of these funny, yet highly useful short stories. If you know a single or divorced dad, this is a great book for them!

Prize #4: Daddy Diaper Changing Toolbox

Becoming a dad for the first, second, or fifth time is never easy, especially if they are expected to sit through endless rounds of baby parties. But, don't despair, here is the perfect present for any new or expecting dad (and it won't make them roll their eyes!). The Diaper Changing Toolbox comes with everything a new dad will need in order to get use to his new role: tongs to remove the toxic waste diaper, a mask to cover the gag worthy smells that babies seem to produce at an alarming frequency...and THERE'S MORE! Check out the review of the Daddy Diaper Changing Toolbox here.

Prize #5: Personalized "Mandoration" Cuff Bracelet for Dad (Cuff Bracelet Review)

Dad's love their kids, but sometimes it is hard to find the right kind of manly personalizable jewelry (excuse me..hardware) for guys to wear. But, here is something that is just perfect for any dad out there...a personalize cuff (i.e. man bracelet) where you can show off your love for your kids while still keeping up that cool guy image. Made by TaviaMetal, these elegant yet edgy pieces are perfect for any guy!

1) For 5 extra entries, enter another one of my "Father Day Fling" contests. Then leave FIVE separate comments telling me which one you entered. You get 5 extra entries for each one you enter provided you leave a separate comment for each.

2) Add this blog to your Technorati Favorites. Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so and under what username. Add to Technorati Favorites

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this giveaway linking back to all four participating blogs. Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

5) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day.

6) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

7) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

8) Add my "Graco Twin Stroller" giveaway button to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

9) Add the "Father's Day Fling" giveaway event button to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

Now go visit the other 3 participating blogs for more chances to win this great prizes!

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)

Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Monday, June 8th, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Review: "Made Here, Baby!" by Bruce H. Wolk

There is no question how much the discovery of toxic materials in imported toys and children's products has shaken up parents all around the world. As a parent, I found it very confusing and overwhelming to select toys to buy for my children. There were some large well-trusted companies who had to announce toy recalls in the past couple of years . . . a couple of which were toys that we owned.

To help parents like me, a product development specialist named Bruce H Wolk wrote "The Essential Guide to Finding the Best American-Made Products for Your Kids" . . . a book titled Made Here, Baby! This book tells parents about over four hundred companies within the U.S. who make safe non-toxic toys and children's products.

What I thought about this book as a parent:

1) I really like that the book includes both large and small companies. I think it is very important to point out that many of the businesses that produce safe wooden and fabric children's products are small mom and dad businesses. They really should be commended and deserve our business.

2) This book is well-organized. Chapters 3 through 7 are each devoted to one category of children's products.

3) This book is very user-friendly. It contains 6 indexes, one of which is a standard book index. The other 5 (indexes A to E) allow you to cross-reference when searching for a particular product or company.

Some familiar companies I am extremely glad to see in this book are Step 2, Vermont Teddy Bear, Bum Genius, Bitty Braille, Happy Panda Baby, Little Tikes Company, K'nex, and Tag Toys just to name a few. This book would make a great gift for any parent or parent-to-be.

Thank you to Amacom and the Family Review Network for this review opportunity.

Review: "Hell Yes!" by Elizabeth Cogswell Baskin

If you are a mom blogger who writes reviews and hosts giveaways, then you have got to read this book. It is actually a short book and will take you just five minutes or less to read, but it will be 5 minutes well-spent.

Hell Yes: Two Little Words for a Simpler, Happier Life is a must-read for anyone who is feeling overwhelmed because your time is completely spoken for constantly. The author Elizabeth Cogswell Baskin teaches you to get rid of all the excess commitments.

The basic rule the author suggests is . . . when you are presented with an opportunity and your reaction isn't "Hell Yes!", then it should be "Hell No!" Going back to running a review blog, I cannot tell you how many times I've taken an "Okay, sure. Why not?" review and have found myself to be running around like a chicken with my head cut off because I then had too many deadlines. Throw in a husband, 3 young children, one elderly dog, 4 cats, another blog, a blog design business, a Cafe Press store, volunteering at my son's preschool, being a moderator on two forums, plus being an active member on a 3rd forum, and we have one stressed out mom.

According to Hell Yes!, if you are able to cut out all the extra "maybe" things, then you will have more time to enjoy life and actually take on more "Hell Yes!" things as they present themselves. I know I would certainly be less stressed and my family would most definitely benefit from that happening.

If you know someone who needs a wake-up call, you can learn more about this book and even purchase one at HellYesBook.com .

Thank you to HellYesBook.com and the Family Review Network for this opportunity.

Giveaway & Review: Spoonfuls of Stories Gift Set (4 Books) [CLOSED]

All my children are book-lovers, especially my 5yr old son. He has quite a book collection. I cannot tell you how excited he was when he saw there were books inside the boxes of Cheerios at the supermarket. The book that came in our box of cereal was "The Great Dog Wash." Well, now he has two, because General Mills generously sent us a set of four Spoonfuls of Stories books to promote the Spoonfuls of Stories Children's Book Contest.

If you are an aspiring children's book writer or know someone who is, Cheerios is taking entries for their contest through July 15th, 2009. Your story must be appropriate for children between the ages of 3 and 8, 500 words or less, illustrated, and in English. The winner will have their book published by Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and win a cash prize. Please read the official contest rules for more details.

What my 5yr old son thought about these Spoonfuls of Cheerios storybooks:

When I asked my son which was his favorite book, he said he liked them all, so I thought he could just tell you what his favorite part was from each book was.

1) His favorite part of "The Great Dog Wash" was when all the dogs chased the cat. He also thought it was pretty neat that the cat looked just like one of our cats.

2) His thought the best part of "When Dinosaurs Came With Everything" was when the boy fed doughnuts to the dinosaur.

3) His favorite parts of "Duck for President" was when all the different animals were covered in what he called "farm stuff" and when the ducks where covered in what he referred to as "voting stuff."

4) He said that the best part of "Monkey and Me" was when the girl carried her monkey with her mouth.

Now doesn't that make you curious enough to want to collect all four books? Just look for specially-marked boxes of Cheerios next time you go shopping to start your collection.

Thank you to MyBlogSpark for this opportunity.

What you can win:

One lucky reader will win a Spoonfuls of Stories Gift Set, which will include the following softcover titles:

"The Great Dog Wash" by Shellie Braeuner

"When Dinosaurs Came With Everything" by Elise Broach

"Duck for President" by Doreen Cronin

"Monkey and Me" by Emily Gravett

Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:
Leave a comment telling me what is your favorite children's book to read aloud? You must do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 10 extra entries, blog about the Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories Children's Book Contest with a link to the Spoonfuls of Stories contest page. Then leave TEN separate comments here with the link to your blog post.

2) Add this blog to your Technorati Favorites. Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so and under what username. Add to Technorati Favorites

3) Blog about this giveaway linking back to this post AND to Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories. Then come back here and leave a separate comment with the link to your blog post.

4) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

5) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment.

6) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

7) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

8) Add my "Dr. Hippo" giveaway event button to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

9) Add my "Father's Day Fling" giveaway event button to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)

Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Thursday, May 21st, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Giveaway: 2 "Secrets of the Immortal" Books & More [CLOSED]

In anticipation of the May 27th release of The Sorceress . . . the third book in the Nicholas Flamel series The Secrets of the Immortal and the recent launch of the Challenges of the Elder game, I have a special prize pack to give to one of my readers. If you do not already have a gift lined up for Dad this year, these items would make a great Father's Day surprise.

What you can win:
One lucky winner will receive the following:

The Alchemyst (Paperback book . . . 1st in the series)
The Magician (Paperback book . . . 2nd in the series)
A special edition "Challenges of the Elder" mug

Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:
Leave a comment telling me what is your favorite book or movie in which magic plays some part in the plot? You must do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 10 extra entries, make a blog post embedding this trailer of The Challenges of the Elder plus a link to AlchemystGame.com . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

2) Add this blog to your Technorati Favorites. Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so and under what username. Add to Technorati Favorites

3) Blog about this giveaway linking back to this post AND to AlchemystGame.com . Then come back here and leave a separate comment with the link to your blog post.

4) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

5) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment.

6) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

7) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

8) Add my "Dr. Hippo" giveaway event button to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

9) Add my "Father's Day Fling" giveaway event button to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)

Good luck in the drawing!

Giveaway & Review: Dirty Bow Wow (Book) [CLOSED]

It's certainly no secret that I am an animal-lover. In fact, our Beagle Buddy was my first true love. He is actually about to turn 15yrs old in July 2009. It may be hard to imagine looking at him now, but he was a very playful dog during his more youthful years.

When I think about Buddy's favorite toys during his lifetime, two especially stand out to me. The first was a stuffed squirrel with a bushy tail, which buddy loved to play indoor fetch with. Then he would shake it to make sure it was sufficiently subdued before he would lie down with one paw on it to take a rest. The other toy was a squeaky rubber Woodstock toy (the bird from Peanuts). A friend of mine bought it for him because Woodstock's best friend Snoopy was a Beagle too. Buddy loved to play fetch and tug-o-war with this toy and would gum it again and again to make it squeak. Even though he played with this toy all day long, he was actually very gentle with it and had it for many years.

In many ways, dogs are like children. That is why Cheryl and Jeffrey Katz, the authors of the book Dirty Wow Wow, which told stories about children and their favorite gently loved toys, wrote this book Dirty Bow Wow. You don't have to be a dog-lover to think this book about dogs is adorable, but it does touch a special place in the hearts of those who cannot imagine their lives without a canine companion. Each page has a portrait and tells a one-paragraph story of a dog who has found a home in my neck of the woods . . . Massachusetts. The stories that especially touched me were the dogs who had been homeless, but were rescued, like the American Pit Bull Terrier named Malibu who was left behind during the Hurricane Katrina evacuation.

If you know a dad who is a dog-lover through and through, then this book would make an endearing and affordable Father's Day gift. I think it would also put a smile on some one's face who has recently suffered a loss of their beloved dog.

For all of May 2009, you can bring a new dog toy to donate to the Dirty Bow Wow Dog Toy Drive at 50 bookstores nationwide. So next time you are out shopping, try to remember to pick up a toy to donate. You can find dog toys at the supermarket, stores like Walmart and Target, and of course your local pet supply stores. Much like with children, a toy does not have to be expensive for a dog to love it.

Thank you to Ten Speed Press and the Family Review Network for this opportunity.

What you can win:
One person will win the book Dirty Bow Wow: A Tribute to Dogs and the Objects of Their Affection.

Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:
Leave a comment telling me what your dog's favorite toy has been since he or she became part of your family (if you don't have your own dog, tell me about someone else's dog's favorite toy). You must do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 3 extra entries, make a quick blog post about the Dirty Bow Wow Toy Drive with a link to the toy drive information page. Then leave THREE separate comments here with the link to your blog post.

2) Add this blog to your Technorati Favorites. Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so and under what username. Add to Technorati Favorites

3) For 5 extra entries, blog about this giveaway linking back to this post AND to Ten Speed Press. Then come back here and leave FIVE separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

5) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment.

6) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

7) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

8) Add my "Dr. Hippo" giveaway event button to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

9) Add my "Father's Day Fling" giveaway event button to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)

Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Monday, May 18th, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!