Something Out of the Ordinary...

One of the books I recently received for review

caught my teenage sons' eye,

so he asked if he could read and review it for a homeschool assignment.

Of course I was absolutely tickled to death that

he was taking an interest in reading, so the answer was a resounding YES!!

I know this is mostly a "chick" place,

but most of us "chicks" have kids that might not be chicks,

SO- I thought it might be fun to do thing a little different today.

Never fear though,

at the end of this review there's another one that's a little more "chickie"

So Heeeeeere's Britain:

City of Thieves David Benioff
Review by: Britain Castellano
This book follows the story of Lev Benioff, a 17 year old boy who is caught looting and put into the same cell as a deserter named Kolya during the Nazi siege of Leningrad. Both thought they were going to be executed, but instead they are given a chance at saving their lives by completing an odd mission: find a dozen eggs for a powerful Soviet colonel to use in his daughter’s wedding cake.
This book is very dramatic and adventurous. David Benioff does a better job in transitioning in this book than in any other book I have ever read(I’m almost 14 but I have read plenty of books!). This is obviously an adult book, but I think I like adult books better than “young adult” books after reading this. The book is very savage, brutal, and funny! David Benioff, like I stated earlier, is very good at instantly changing the mood of the story.
The only complaint I have is that the book was not longer! I just kept wanting to read on but eventually it ended, like all good things do. I loved the fact that every character had a distinct and constant personality. In this way, the author excels even farther. Especially how he shows Lev(the main character) gradually changing thoughts and acting differently like a real person would, instead of suddenly making a dramatic emotion/personality change the way a lot of young adult characters do.
David Benioff captures the heart and emotions of his readers. The entire story, I felt like every person, place, and thing mattered, I CARED about the characters. Also, in many parts of the story, I broke out in laughter at the funny jokes present.
From sadness to savagery to humor, David Benioff has produced a gripping and thrilling masterpiece! Hats off to you mister Benioff and thank you for providing me with many hours of pure enjoyment.

Thanks to Alexandra Ramstrom at Penguin Group for this book.

Parents, there are swear words and I would say a moderate amount of violence in this book, but no more so than anything they see on basic cable or xbox 360 today. Plus it's an actual BOOK!!!

I will be sharing our review copy with one lucky commenter to this post


To enter please leave a comment with your thoughts on Britain's review of the book, I want you to give him a grade!! AND don't forget your email address, I can't count your entry without it!!
Britain will chose a winner on Monday April 27th!

About a week after this blog launched

I received an email from Mandy Blake of

Reading Comfort

This woman has come up with some fabulous ideas!

The Book Buddy is the cutest ever

little lap pillow, that I never knew I needed.

The BB comes with a removable acrylic desktop that you can use for your laptop, (no more setting your lap on fire) but here's one of the other cool things...my kids have discovered it also makes a great lap desk for their snacks in front of the TV, or while working on their school work. (we homeschool) The adjustable straps hold the acrylic in place so your work doesn't slide all over the place.

The second set of straps are great for holding your book in place while you're reading and these are also adjustable. We've been fighting over mine since it arrived about a week ago. The quality is amazing, I'm no expert but it seems to be manufactured from a similiar weight to upholstery fabric, very thick and durable, which keeps the weight of the acrylic and laptop from making it "sink".

Mandy has tons of other great products available over at reading comfort, great gift ideas for every book lover you know, and for yourself.

For CHIC BOOK CHICK readers Mandy is Offering a FREE GIFT with every BOOK BUDDY ORDER. After placing your order, click on the lower left icon titled "WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK" and mention your order and that you came over from Chic Book Chick!! Thanks Mandy!!

There is still time to enter the following Giveaways

You Buy The Peanut Butter, I'll get the Bread Kirsten Poe Hill and Renee Warren

Mr. Perfect Linda Howard

Passion Unleashed Larissa Ione

READ On CHICKS!!

SELF HELP SUNDAY!!!

You Bring The Peanut Butter,

I'll Get the Bread......

Best Friends in Business

Kirsten Poe Hill & Renee E Warren

Maybe you're like me, and you have constant delusions of granduer, when you're letting your mind wander and you find yourself developing your own business in your head, (my delusions are so big, I even write them down sometimes). I have this crazy dream that someday I will be able to make money doing what I love.

These two gutsy women did exactly that. They share their story with us, not only their aspirations, but also with a true "how to" look at how they made it happen. I love how honest they are about their mistakes and pitfalls as well as their successes and what it took for them to come out successful, in a world and a time where few businesses do. I also liked that these women took what could have been a very dry, dull "how to" business book and turned it into an informative, fun and often inspiring story by adding their personal experiences to the mix.

The authors Kirsten Poe Hill and Renee E Warren are the cofounders of Noelle-Elaine Media Inc. a New York City based even management, media relations, and production firm with many notable corporate, nonprofit and celebrity clients.

Thank you to Alexandra Ramstrum with Hudson Street Press & Plume for this book.

I am willing to share my Review copy with one lucky CHICK!

To Enter please

1. Leave a comment with your email in it

For extra entries:

2. Follow Me/or already a follower please leave another comment saying so

3. Please blog about this contest and come back here and comment about it

Winner will be randomly chosen April 26

Open to all

Thanks so much!!

Winners of Last Sundays Giveaway

Living Beauty by Bobbi Brown are

BINGO

CAROLYN

BETH

JANA

JAYME

CHICKS, you will be receiving an email from me

You need to respond with your address within 48 hours

OR

I pick new chicks!!

We are 52 and growing in the

Chic Book Chick

Group at Goodreads.com

The group is open to all you don't have

to wait for an invitation!!

I've got a giveaway going on over there too

Come and join us!!

Take care and

Read On Chicks!!

Is it Hot in here, or is it this book I'm reading....?

Passion Unleashed Larissa Ione

It's definitely the book...Serena Kelly is one of a select few, a charmed human. Keeper of a treasure so great no one except the angels even know what exactly it is or can be used for. Serena only knows that it's keeping her alive, having been been bitten by a Mara Demon when she was only six, losing the charm or her viginity also means losing her life. The charm protects her from anything or anyone that would mean her harm, but who is going to protect her from herself?

Wraith is a Seminus Demon, an incubus, out to populate the world with more demons, and kill whatever gets in his way...because that's what demons do. The one good thing in his life is "Underworld General" the hospital for supernatural beings he started with his brothers, building it using their combined life forces.

Until fate puts Serena in his path. When Wraith is poisoned by an asassain, the only cure is the charm protecting Serena and in order for Wraith to live, Serena will have to die.

I should maybe interject here...as the cover suggests..(and where can I get one of him, btw) this book is hot...yowza! But, the story doesn't depend on the sex to keep it interesting, there's a great plot here as well and the writer does an excellent job balancing the two with a lot of action.

This is book #3 in the Demonica series, and as my ever growing TBR pile turns into Mt Everest, the other two are definitely on my list as they are the stories of Wraith's brothers, Shade and Eidolon who are already hitched in Passion Unleashed. I'm thinking there will probably be more.

The first two titles are:

If you enjoy paranormal romance I know you'll like this. Fans of Gena Showalter I'm positive you will really enjoy it.

I've got 5 copies to give away!!

1. Leave a Comment +1

2. Follow Me +1 already a follower +2

3. Post this contest on your blog (can be on your sidebar or a post) +3

PLEASE put your email in your comments

us and canada only please no Po Boxes, thanks to Ana at Hatchette for these books!

Winners will be announced on April 22nd!

The Winners of the 5 copies of ALL OF ME by Lori Wilde are

Nicole

MJ

HeatherM

NotNessie

Scottsgal

CONGRATS LADIES!

Please email your address to

castellanoamy@yahoo.com

with "WINNER" in the subject line within 48 hours

or I'll have to pick another chick!!

Our Goodreads group is growing

we're at 44 members now

Way to Rock IT!

If you'd like to join just go to

Goodreads.com

and join

the Group

"Chic Book Chick"

THANKS for Stopping by and

READ ON CHICKS!!

Romance...with some murder on top and a side of espionage

Happy

Tuesday

Chicks!!

If you like your romance to have some murder, suspense, and sometimes even a little espionage on the side I suggest you give Linda Howard a try.

(I've read pretty much everything she's ever written,unless there's a title out there I somehow missed due to unavailability)

My favorite by Linda Howard is probably Mr. Perfect.

Jaine Bright is another one of those heroines that I just couldn't get enough of. She's a smartass with quick wit and an honesty with herself that I so admire. (Ahem..do you see a trend with me loving smart ass heroines?...) The back drop of this book has a grisly murderer on the loose stalking Jaine and her friends after they get together one Friday night after work and as a joke put together a list of attributes that their "Mr. Perfect" would posess. But, Jaine's character is so strong and the heat between her and Sam (the hero) is so...well...hot... that it's sometimes hard to remember that.

This book was published in June 2001, the only thing that dates it is a conversation about midway through about 3 of the women not having cell phones. It's pretty widely available at local libraries, paperback swap, and amazon.

Some other books to check out by Linda Howard are:

There are lots more really good ones, these are just some of my favorites

I've got a gently used copy of Mr Perfect up for grabs!

1. leave me a comment = 1 entry

2. become a follower = 1 entry already a follower =2

3. Put my linky on your sidebar = 3 entries and also enables you to get other chances for random acts of reading

Winner will be announced next Tuesday, April 21

Here's the Linky

The Winner of Jennifer Crusie's

Faking It

is

Drey

Drey please email me your address and put "winner" in the subject line and I will get this out to you!

Join us as Goodreads.com

just chicks talking about books

no stress and no deadlines

but lots of fun!!

Group Name

"Chic Book Chick"

Come back tomorrow for another review, giveaway, and winners announced for

All of Me by Lori Wilde

You CHICKS ARE AWESOME!!!

Seriously....

YOU KICK BUTT!!

Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart

for all the support you all have shown!

More support means more reviews and more books to giveaway!

So thanks again!!

LET'S GET IT STARTED!!

IT'S FREE BOOK FRIDAY!!

Girls In Trucks by Katie Crouch

Here we follow the story of Sarah Walters and her 3 closest friends, Bitsy, Charlotte, and Annie.
The story starts out with the four of them in a South Carolina Cotillion school and follows, mostly Sarah, into adulthood.
The four women battle drug addiction, adultery, low self esteem, cancer, and really bad choices in men.
Crouch uses different points of view throught the story giving different views into each woman's life, which was interesting. However, it seemed sometimes to me almost like a collection of short stories, which gave me a little trouble with the flow.
Sarah has a lot of wit, and I really liked her honesty, but I felt like I was missing something in her development as a character. I wanted to feel connected to her, I just didn't. I think that has more to do with me personally though than the book itself.
To be fair, it is a well told story that could have been very typical (4 women move from their home in the south to NYC) but it strays far from it. Almost a cautionary tale, if you will, of what young girls can face as they grow up and leave home.

Favorite Lines (There's a lot of quotable material in this one):"...I watched, hoping she wouldn't come out too broken. It's all you can do for people sometimes, no matter how much you love them. This is one of the many things I was only beginning to understand."

"Being unfaithful to yourself is not as hard as you'd think."


"It took us a while to shed our Southern ways, but after a few months we figured out that one's natural height should not be enhanced by one's bangs."

Thanks to Valerie at Hatchett Book Groups for these books!!

The 5 Winners of "Girls In Trucks" ARE

PISSENLIT

COLLEEN

MARIE

TEDDY ROSE

JENMARIE

You have 48 hours to get me your addresses

or I will have to choose other Chicks!!

email me at castellanoamy at yahoo dot com

I wasn't sure it was possible that there was a vampire series out there that I haven't read...turns out THERE IS!!!

Stakes and Stilettos is #4 in the Immortality Bites series!

I can't wait to sink my teeth into this one...(sorry couldn't help myself.).. and the first three...This will be next Friday's Review which is when I will also be announcing the winner's of

...YEP 5 COPIES!! Up for GRABS!!!

us and canada only please no po boxes

thanks Anna at Hatchette Book Group for these books!!

1. Leave a comment +1

2. Blog about this contest leave another comment +2

3. Follow me +1 already a follower +2

4. Put my linky on your blog +5 don't forget to link me back! ( EVERY FRIDAY I pick a random freebie winner from people who have my linky!) You can find the linky on this post HERE!!PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not forget to add your email to your entries!!!

THIS WEEKS RANDOM LINKY WINNER IS:

CHRISTI

email me your address for some happy mail...from me!

There is still time to enter the

SELF HELP SUNDAY giveaway

And

The Jennifer Crusie giveaway

Join us on Goodreads.com

Group Name "Chic Book Chick"

Next Book: Agnes and The Hitman by Jennifer Crusie

COME BACK SUNDAY FOR ANOTHER GIVEAWAY!!

READ On CHICKS!!!

All of Me by Lori Wilde...GIVEAWAY ALERT!!

Yes, Chicklets...
it's that time AGAIN...
for another review AND
GIVEAWAY!!!....
Can you hear 6 Flags
music playing in the backgroud?...

Anyway...
Onward...

All of Me By Lori Wilde

This is the last installation in the "Wedding Veil Wishes" series. I missed 1-3, but will probably go look for them now, as this was a pretty enjoyable piece of chicklit.

We have Jillian, a hardened big city attorney who doesn't believe in love, or magic, or fairy tale endings. She's never really had a family, just a law school mentor who took on the role of surrogate father, Blake. When she loses Blake to a brain tumor , Jillian inherits his lake house in Salvation, Colorado. With no one to stay for and nowhere else to go, Jillian decides that this is her chance at starting a new life.

Tuck brought his wife Aimee to her family's lake house in Salvation, Colorado as her last wish before she died two years ago and he never left. Once a celebrity architect, he has lived the past two years in mourning, in the house he promised his dying wife he would rennovate.

When Jillian shows up at the door ready to start he new life, she's of course suprised to find her new home already inhabited by her mentor's estranged daughter's widower. Who, by the way, also has a deed to the lake house. If he could just find it.

Tuck and Jillian decide to live as room mates while they try to figure out who the rightful owner is, all the while spending their time either fighting with each other or trying not to end up in bed...or in love.

I really enjoyed it. There is nookie, but the author makes you wait for it, sometimes, as in this case, that makes it better. Thanks to Anna at Hatchette Book Group for this book and giveaway promotion!

I've got 5 copies to giveaway!! (US and Canada Only No PO Boxes Please)

1. Leave a comment +1

2. Follow Me +1 already a follower +2

3. Blog about this contest and link me back +1

4. Put my linky on your sidebar +3 (you can scroll down to pick up the linky or email me at castellanoamy@yahoo.com)

LEAVE A COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY

Winners will be announced on April 15th. LEAVE YOUR EMAIL IN YOUR COMMENT PLEASE!!

READ ON...CHICKIES!!

Join our group on Goodreads.com!

"Chic Book Chick"

It's free and open to anyone who wants to join and talk about chick books!!

Hey There CHICKIES!!!

I want to talk to you about Jennifer Crusie.

She's probably one of my favorites...Whenever I am in the mood for fun, lightweight chick reading, I have never failed with her.

A Couple of my faves by Jennifer Crusie are

1. Agnes and The Hitman (she wrote this one with Bob Mayer)

I promise I have never, ever read a book that made me laugh out loud

like this one did. I actually had tears running down my cheeks.

Cranky Agnes is one of my all time favorite heroines,
a regular girl with a great big streak of crazy in her.

2. Faking It there is a whole lot going on in this one and

it is SO much fun! This is also one of her older books. Tilda and Davy are so fun together and again I totally cracked up the whole way through.

I love that Jennifer's characters always remind me of actual people I know.

I would also recommend the following Crusie books when you're looking for some reading fun and laughs! And just so you know, there is always nookie...
Bet me
Fast Women

Crazy For you

Welcome to Temptation

Getting Rid of Bradley

I'm sure the other ones are great too I just haven't gotten to them yet..If you've read them feel free to tell me what you think!

I've got a very gently read (just by me) Hardback copy of

Faking It

up for grabs!

I'll be closing entries for this one April 14th

Please leave a comment here with your email!!

If you want an extra entry

place my new linky below on your sidebar and link me back!!

Don't forget we've got a great group of Chicks over on Goodreads.com!!

Come join us!

Group name is Chic Book Chick!!

Here's the LINKY for anyone who wants to add it to your blog

If you do, it will mean random acts of mailbox happiness in your future! Just make sure to link me back!! (If you need help figuring out how to do this email me at castellanoamy at yahoo dot com)

Don't forget I'm giving away 5 copies of Girls In Trucks on Friday!!

AND

5 Sets of the three books I reviewed on Sunday!!

Just scroll on down....

Later CHICKS!!

SELF HELP SUNDAY!!!

Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to visit!!

I have read very few self help books in my time...

BUT

I though these 3 sounded pretty interesting

1. "Throw Out Fifty Things" by Gail Blake

Here's what I can tell you...I am sending my copy of this book to my Best Friend Stephanie in Japan... I don't think she's thrown anything away since 1975...which was the year she was born (I am not a hoarder of crap, pretty paper and stamps and things that sparkle maybe, but not crap) However, if I was a hoarder of crap, not just "crap" crap (like the strawberry Kissing Potion that's been in your makeup bag since 1984- Chapter 2) , but also emotional life "crap"...(like maybe "Letting go of the Need to Feel Secure" Chapter 18)...ooh did I say I wasn't a hoarder...? OK...I really loved the funny little stories in every chapter, and how she added a score card at the end of each one for you to fill out...a sort of journal of "crap" if you will. From your bathroom to your brain the author leads you on a journey of getting rid of all the things weighing you down. For me, I had some serious moments in the second half of the book "Attacking the Mental Mess"...where I thought..."seriously,does this woman know me?"...The point is well taken. Thanks Gail!

2. "Mrs. Meyer's Clean Home " by Mrs Thelma Meyer

Um, personally I think cleaning is over-rated...what's the point it's all just going to get dirty again, right?...Ok Just kidding...well kind of...What I liked about this book is that it

a. gives you recipies for cleaning products from your own kitchen which are also chemical free and very "green"

b. has an actual schedule by day, week and month of how to tackle different cleaning projects, from your kitchen (daily) to your gutters (monthly) I will never be this organized

c.It has a VERY HANDY index so if say I needed to get some red wine and chocolate out of a blouse...welllll that's on page 168-169...very helpful (not that I've ever had to do that)

To me, this book is a great reference book for the index alone.

3. "How To Mess Up Your Child's Life" by Olivia and Kurt Bruner

I laughed a lot reading this book, and I hope I can explain it well..The authors Olivia and Kurt Bruner are married and the parents of 4 children. Kurt is a Pastor with the "Focus on the Family" movement and Olivia is a former Schoolteacher and you can read all about them and their other works here. This is a very different take on a parenting book, (which I typically avoid because I don't want to be a better parent...) in that first, it's entertaining. And second it shows several (ok 7) really good examples of what we are all probably guilty of in one way or another in our parenting, and then kind of shows us the light, if you will....it was informative and very funny without being overly preachy or making me feel guilty.

OK THAT's IT!!

I am giving away 5 sets of each of these books...yes that's right there will be 5 winners and you're each getting all three books (us and canada only no po boxes) Thanks to Hatchette Book Group for these books.

...I know, you love me

AND I'm going to make it easy

1. leave a comment +1

2. refer a friend who's not already a follower, and get them to become one +5 (this friend can also then refer...Please leave a second comment and have your referral state in their comment who referred them)

Please leave your email in your comment

Winners will be announced here Next Sunday April 12th...where I will be announcing another self help giveaway..hooray!!