If you live in or near Charlotte, NC, I hope you will join me for a fun, free writing event in cooperation with Charlotte Mecklenburg's Community Read program. The book, Buttermilk Graffiti by Chef Edward Lee, chronicles Lee's culinary adventures as he tastes a variety of foods throughout the country. But unlike other foodies who talk about… Continue reading COMMUNITY READ + FREE WRITING WORKSHOP
Among the Imposters is the second book in the Shadow Children series by Margaret Haddix. Although I hadn't read the first book, Among the Hidden, Ms. Haddix's reputation is legendary and when this book was available through Recorded Books, I was glad for the opportunity to review it. As expected from an award-winning author, the reader is… Continue reading Among the Imposters: An Audio Book Review and Giveaway
Congratulations to Theresa Jones who won Emily Out of Focus from last week's blog. Remember, when you don't win a book, check it out of your local library. If it's not in their catalog, you can request a purchase. Another way to support authors! ******** REVIEW I am always delighted to find a well-written young… Continue reading The Perfect Candidate: Audio Book Review and Giveaway
Donna Everhart warned me that her newest book, The Forgiving Kind (Kensington, 2019) had some tough parts. She was right. Like her previous book, The Road to Bittersweet, The Forgiving Kind also features a young woman coming of age in rural North Carolina. The time is the 1950's and the place is 300 acres of Jones County--cotton territory. Although both… Continue reading The Forgiving Kind: A Review and Audio Book Giveaway
Florida became a state in 1845 and was quickly thrust into the Civil War. The Smallest Tadpole’s War in the Land of Mysterious Waters bridges the years from 1843 to 1900. The main character, Thomas Franklin Swearingen, was author Diane Swearingen’s husband’s great-great-grandfather. Thomas Swearingen, an uneducated farmer who settled northern Florida when it was… Continue reading The Smallest Tadpole's War in the Land of Mysterious Waters: An Audio Book Review and Giveaway
Browsing a recent Recorded Books catalog, I was pleased to find Wonderland (Farrar Strauss and Giroux, 2018), by North Carolina author, Barbara O' Connor. I hope one of your students, children, or grandchildren will enjoy it as much as I did. REVIEW The book opens with10-year-old Mavis Jeeter leaving Hadley, Georgia for the same reason she's left so… Continue reading Wonderland: A Review and Audio Book Giveaway
Congratulations to Kathy Dykstra, an “old” friend who is new to my blog, for winning Four Seasons of Fun and to Connie Saunders for winning Lulu & Rocky in Milwaukee. I was already an Avi fan when I had the privilege of hearing him speak at the South Carolina Reading Association. I’ll never forget his… Continue reading The Player King: An Audio Book Review and Giveaway
Every so often I page through Tantor Audio's catalog and come across a title that sounds intriguing. That's what happened when I read the description of The Elephant Whisperer (April, 2009 PanMacmillan) by conservationist Lawrence Anthony along with journalist Graham Spence. The book comes alive through the British narration of BBC broadcaster Simon Vance. REVIEW One of the opening… Continue reading The Elephant Whisperer: A Review and Audio Book Giveaway
Congratulations to Joyce Hostetter who won Mothers of Massive Resistance from last week's blog. As I've done previously, this week I'm joining the blog tour sponsored by the Audio Publishers Association. Details for this HUGE audio book giveaway are below. Since you've have heard my reasons for listening to audio books, I decided to ask my… Continue reading Holiday Audio Blog Tour and Giveaway
Congratulations to Connie Saunders who won Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop from last week's blog. When I read the blurb about MOTHERS OF MASSIVE RESISTANCE: White Women and the Politics of White Supremacy (Oxford University Press, 2018) in the Tantor Audio catalogue, I thought it might provide a different perspective on the Jim Crow era. It definitely did. … Continue reading Mothers of Massive Resistance: White Women and the Politics of White Supremacy: A Review and Audio Book Giveaway