Thursday, March 29, 2012

Charity Hop Giveaway!


We here at The Revolving Bookcase are so excited to be participating in the Charity Hopping Around the World Blog Hop! I especially love the theme of this hop because each participant will be showcasing one of their favorite charities. My favorite charity is Perfect Pets Rescue and going along with that theme, we'll be giving away 3 dog-related books! Winners will be drawn at random and will be announced by e-mail and on our website on April 5th. Thanks so much to I Am a Reader, Not a WriterReading Away the Days, and Reading a Little Bit of Everything for hosting such a great hop! Be sure to check out every blog on the hop by clicking on the list at the end. Good luck! 

The Charity: Perfect Pets Rescue, Inc is a charity that holds a special place in my heart because they are the people who rescued and brought my dog Ollie into my life just about a year ago. They are a non-profit 501(c)3 animal rescue licensed by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. They rescue dogs and cats from high-kill shelters in Georgia, quarantine and vet them completely and transport them to New York, where they are fostered by some great people while awaiting adoption into their forever homes. They are entirely run by dedicated, animal-loving volunteers and rely on donations to fund the rescues. I wouldn't have my Oliver without them and I am so grateful there are such wonderful, caring people out there doing what they do every day. If you live in the upstate NY region and are looking to adopt a pet, please go check out the available animals on their site!

The Giveaways!!
We are giving away THREE dog-themed (well, two dog-themed and one dog-inspired title) books for this special giveaway! You may enter for one or all of the drawings. Just fill out the form below (sorry, US entrants only). Good luck!
(hardcover edition)

Synopsis: John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wriggly yellow furball of a puppy. Life would never be the same.

(hardcover edition)
Synopsis: 
The #1 New York Times-bestselling author presents a riveting novel where a canine search and rescue volunteer fights danger and finds love in the Pacific Northwest wilderness.

(paperback, ARC)
Synopsis: 
Do not let a mop sit overnight in water. Fix things before they get too big for fixing. Custodial wisdom: Mattie Breen writes it all down. She has just one week to convince Uncle Potluck to take her on as his custodial apprentice at Mitchell P. Anderson Elementary School. One week until school starts and she has to be the new girl again. But if she can be Uncle Potluck’s apprentice, she’ll have important work to do during lunch and recess. Work that will keep her safely away from the other fifth graders. But when her custodial wisdom goes all wrong, Mattie’s plan comes crashing down. And only then does she begin to see how one small, brave act can lead to a friend who is hound dog true. (ages 9-11)



The Full List of Blogs on the Hop: 


Sunday, March 18, 2012

Review: Why Can't Elephants Jump?

Published: 11/16/2011
Pegasus Books
240 pp.


Being a trivia buff, I'm always drawn to books with questions like these. This one is unique in that it is a compilation of questions from real readers of New Scientist magazine and the answers are given by readers as well (hopefully, ones who know something about the topic). I love the range of inquiries over everything from bodily functions. But, the informality (and sometimes incongruity) of the answers makes me lack confidence in their validity, and more than once I found myself questioning the purpose of even reading it because of that. I think I would have rather the editors had taken it one step further and instead of publishing the exact letters received for the answers, to sum up the best answers as they see them. It began to become tedious to read 2 or 3 answers to each question. It would have been nice to include imperial versions of the metric units given in the answers for all the American readers who aren't as familiar with meters and Celsius - I'm a scientist and I still had to pause and try to put things into perspective.
Overall, an informative and sometimes entertaining book, but I prefer the   more succinct style of the similar books such as Why Do Men Have Nipples? by Mark Leyner and Billy Goldberg or When Do Fish Sleep? by David Feldman.

Why Can't Elephants Jump? : 3/5

Friday, March 16, 2012

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day! Review: Kiss Me, I'm Irish


Overview: 
Three bestselling authors bring fans three classic stories of sexy Irishmen and the woman who love them:

The Sins of His Past by Roxanne St. Claire
For one incredible night, Kendra Locke gave Deuce Monroe everything she had. Then he walked away without a backward glance to chase his big-league dreams. Now after one too many daredevil stunts, he's back in his hometown ready to pick up where they left off - but Kendra has no intention of giving in so easily...

Tangling With Ty by Jill Shalvis
Dr. Nicole Mann, a child prodigy who graduated high school at the age of thirteen, has no room in her mind of her schedule for romance. But when the architect renovating her apartment turns out to have a charming Irish accent, all bets are off - and Ty Patrick O'Grady plans to use every trick in his book to stay in her life for good.

Whatever Reilly Wants by Maureen Child
Connor Reilly only has a few weeks to go in his "no sex for ninety days" bet with his brothers - and he figures no woman is safer to be around than his best friend, Emma Jacobsen. Until Emma shows up at a bar in a short skirt and high heels, and suddenly seems anything but safe!

Review: 
This book is an anthology of three previously released novellas from three separate authors, each of whom has written some great romances. I don't think that any of the stories in this compilation are their best work, but I doubt they think of them as such either.

Although only published in 2006, the plot behind St. Claire's Sins of His Past, is so dated it becomes a distraction.The heroine, Kendra, is a supposed genius who had to drop out of Harvard because she got pregnant and then wants to open an internet cafe. Once you get past people going to a bar to use computers, it is a bit of a struggle to like the "hero" who has some very flimsy excuses for some very poor and immature decisions. The story does comeback nicely from it and has a good ending, but it is overall forgettable.My favorite was, not surprisingly, the middle story Tangling with Ty by Jill Shalvis. But, consistent with my opinion of most of her older works, I found the story rushed and unfinished. I wanted so much more from this book! More backstory, more lead-up tension, and definitely more from them once the main characters did get together. I definitely think there is a place for quick, light romances, but 3 books totaling just over 500 pages is too quick. At least Maureen Child has the excuse that Whatever Reilly Wants was originally released as book 2 of 3, and I was interested enough to track down an e-copy of book 3 in the series, too (which, was on par with the rest of the books here).
Overall, I enjoyed reading the books, but I think my expectations were too high based on the authors' more recent work, so I was a bit disappointed. I'd recommend reading this for anyone who doesn't want to think for a few hours on a beach somewhere.

The Sins of His Past : 2.5/5
Tangling With Ty : 3/5
Whatever Reilly Wants : 2.5/5 


I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher through NetGalley.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Lauren Oliver Signing













For those of you in the Hudson Valley area, Lauren Oliver will be signing copies of Pandemonium tonight at Oblong Books in Rhinebeck. Kate Ellison will also be there signing copies of her debut YA novel Butterfly Clues. Can not wait. Hope to see ya there.