Top 5 Books Read in 2009

Here are the top 5 books I read in 2009 that I would recommend, and the link to my review. (Note - these were read in 2009, but not necessarily published then).

Green by Ted Dekker

I loved the fantasy world created in this story.

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Packed with emotion, this one was a true tearjerker.

Death by Dorlana Vann

Bonus book in that you get two enjoyable supernatural tales in one.

A Cup of Comfort for Dog Lovers II by Colleen Sell

Warm tales of our four-legged friends, perfect for short reading intervals.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

The characters come to life.






Also, worth mentioning:
Groundswell - winning in a world transformed by social technologies by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff
Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer

What were some of the best books you read this year? What did you like most about them.

Upcoming Book Reviews and Contest!

Great news! I've received my copy of Death by Dorlana Vann (containing Jaclyn's Ghost and Passage to Mesentia) and A Cup of Comfort for Dog Lovers II with a story by Susan H. Miller. I first mentioned these books in my post, WordProverb: Writers Group News and Success!

I'll be posting full reviews in the future!

In the meantime, I am pleased to announce my first ever giveaway/contest on this blog!

Da-ta-ta-da!! What will you win? ...drum roll, please

There will actually be two lucky winners. 1st place winner receives their choice; Death by Dorlana Vann or A Cup of Comfort for Dog Lovers II. Second place winner will receive the remaining book. I'm working on getting the books autographed too, but can't promise that yet!

I'm so excited and I hope you will be too, because it is so easy to win. To enter, just leave a comment (yes, that easy). Here are the rules:

• Comments are eligible for the contest until midnight, July 16, 2009 Central Time zone.
• I will use the Custom Random Number Generator to pick 1st and 2nd place, and announce the winners on this blog on July 17.
  
• The winners will need to contact me by email before 10pm Central Time on July 27, 2009 or another winner will be selected.
• Sorry, only residents of the continental U.S. and APO/FPO and Canadian addresses are eligible.

Please note - to be eligible, your comment must appear on this post on the WordProverb blog. If you are reading this on Facebook or elsewhere, please visit the actual blog post to add your comment.

Thank you and good luck!

Have You Read it Yet?

I am a Thomas Nelson book review blogger. Having previously received and reviewed The Faith of Barack Obama by Stephen Mansfield, I recently requested a new book to review. Entitled I'll Make You An Offer You Can't Refuse, Insider Business Tips from a Former Mob Boss by Michael Franzese, be on the lookout for a future review of this book.

Buy		Read

Have you read I'll Make You An Offer You Can't Refuse, Insider Business Tips from a Former Mob Boss by Michael Franzese?

A Great Marketing Idea

You may recall that I recently received The Faith of Barack Obama by Stephen Mansfield free by agreeing to post a 200 word minimum review on my blog. My review is here.

This is a great marketing idea and provides good word of mouth (WOM). Now Thomas Nelson Publishers has launched a book review site for bloggers. If you like free books, enjoy writing book reviews, and have a blog, this may be for you. In a nutshell, the program provides for free copies of certain titles published by Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for a 200-word minimum review on the readers blog, as well as on Amazon. Details are posted at A New Book Review Program for Bloggers - Michael Hyatt.

Happy reading!

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I Won a Book!

I won a book! Coming from someone that rarely wins anything, it was indeed exciting news to learn I had won. This was through my participation on the Society of Word of Mouth (SWOM), which is a social network for those interested in word of mouth marketing.

The brand new, signed, hardcover book I won is David Vinjamuri's Accidental Branding: How Ordinary People Build Extraordinary Brands. What hooked me is his fantastic Chapter 2, which was offered as a free pdf download on SWOM. In this chapter, David presents six rules successful branders and entrepreneurs tend to utilize on a consistent basis.

Seven remaining chapters of the book each detail a success story that supports these six rules, and they are case studies of familiar/well-known brands like J. Peterman, craigslist, Burt's Bees, and more. One of the best aspects of this book is its easy readability. This book isn't a dry textbook style read, but rather reads almost biographical. David really gets in to what makes these entrepreneurs tick, and presents it in an enjoyable manner.

While I don't feel like I have come away with insight that will necessarily take my career to its next level, I do think that the information introduced is plausible and practical, and I recommend this book to anyone interested in marketing or branding.

David blogs at Accidental Branding and ThirdWay Advertising Blog.

Goodreads

If you are like me, you like to read. But you're busy, and nothing is more frustrating than wasting time reading a not-so-good book. It's a rarity when I put a book down as unreadable, but there have been many books I've finished that I've wished I had. Or better still, I wished I hadn't even bothered starting. And so now I'm a member of Goodreads.

At Goodreads, reader reviews are available for books that you place in one of three default bookshelves… "read," "currently-reading," or " to-read." It is customizable in that you can add or modify your bookshelves, but these are the defaults and they have suited me well.

Any time I hear of a good book, or I read a good review from a friend, I can immediately place the book in my "to-read" bookshelf, which is a great feature. Later, when I am ready to make a new book purchase, or even if someone asks for my book preferences, I have a complete list of books that I know I want to read.

"Currently-reading" is where I put books that I am reading, but haven't yet finished. From there, once the book is finished, it is very easy to move it over to the "read" bookshelf and add a review. I have found the reviews on each book to be so helpful in determining whether I want to read a book, so I always make sure to add my review to the books I finish.

Another thing to like about Goodreads is the friends network. Friends are people that you know that can see your reviews, what you've read and are reading, etc. Even better, Goodreads lets you set automatic email updates when your friends have added books or reviews. What better way is there to hear about a book and then be able to add it to your "to-read" list? Word-of-mouth from someone you know and trust is the best!

Anyway, that's why I'm a member of Goodreads. I hope you also have an opportunity to check it out! And if you have read Split by the Humble Fiction Café, please don't forget to add your review.

Win An E-Book!

I am proud to be a member of the Humble Fiction Café (HFC). It's with pleasure to announce that two of our writers group members, Dorlana Vann and Theresa Law, have books being published by Tease Publishing as part of their Dark Tarot series. It is also with pleasure that I tell you these two authors have sponsored contests where you can win a free copy of the e-book, Jaclyn's Ghost.

Here's what to do…

Visit Dorlana's blog on Dark Tarot and participate in the discussion on ghosts. But better hurry, because today is the deadline! Do you believe in ghosts?

It's too late to enter Theresa's contest, but she was looking for romantic moments. Do you have one to share?

By the way, I've read Jaclyn's Ghost and highly recommend it! I think it would make a great addition to anyone's summertime reading list.

That's it for now!

Good Reading

It’s been awhile since I’ve written about some of the books I’ve read lately. Here are a few that I would recommend reading.

The Weight of Water
by Anita Shreve
This is an interesting book as it is two simultaneous and interwoven stories, one set in current day and one back in time. Anita seamlessly switches between the stories and keeps the reader engaged. Set in New England, you can feel the cold winters and the storms as the present day heroine, a newspaper photographer, learns more about herself in the search for the truth of a historic double axe murder. The story line is haunting and it pulls at your emotions. Definitely worth reading.

The Desert Crop
by Catherine Cookson
Set in England in the 1880s, this is a story of family conflict, poverty and love. After his father remarries for the promise of future money, Daniel Stewart must give up his dreams of attending university and help out on the failing farm. But giving up university is only the beginning of his sacrifices as he devotes his life to his father’s new wife and their growing family. It takes tragedy to change his life course and open his eyes to true love. Enjoyable, easy to read book.

The Testament
by John Grisham
A really good Grisham book, this story involves an eccentric billionaire and his dysfunctional and greedy families, a missionary heiress, and a lawyer who embarks on a truly remarkable adventure into the jungles of Brazil. The story grabs the reader from the start and doesn’t let go. The imagery is vivid, the characters real. Hard to put down once started.

Great Summer Reads!

Summer is a great time for reading, right? Well, I agree, but I wonder...what’s so wrong with winter reading, or fall, or spring? Anytime is a terrific time for a great book in my opinion, and here are some of my recent finds – all wonderful (of course) for summer reading!

The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult

Absorbing from the time you pick up the book until you put it down. A story about a calm and quiet father, Daniel, who had an angry and criminal youth; his wife, who becomes dissatisfied with how predictable her husband has become; and their daughter, who grows up unnoticed before their eyes and suffers date rape and subsequent consequences. In the story, Daniel is a comic book writer. Immersed throughout and corresponding to the story is the comic that Daniel is working on, depicting his hero rescuing his daughter from hell. Vivid description throughout, easy read.

Jaclyn's Ghost by Dorlana Vann (not yet published)

This is a captivating story, and one that I hope finds a publisher soon! Written by Dorlana Vann from my writer’s group, the Humble Fiction Café, it is a story about a murdered high fashion model, Jaclyn, who becomes caught in the spirit world. She has 48 hours to live as a ghost as she tries to solve her murder. Enlisting the help of a handsome and intriguing more experienced ghost, as well as a living psychic who can hear and speak to ghosts, Jaclyn sets out on an eye-opening adventure. Dorlana is a great storyteller. Link on to her blog to read Chapters 1-4 and a synopsis at http://dorlana.blogspot.com.

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Certainly not a new book, but one I’ve just gotten around to reading and what a pleasure. It’s dynamic and moving - it actually brought me to tears at the end. It’s a story about Mitch spending his Tuesdays with a former college professor, Morrie Schwartz, after Morrie was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Morrie taught Mitch valuable lessons on life that we can all learn from. Truly a memorable book.