HIGHEST DUTY and OVER THE HOLIDAYS: WINNERS

WINNERS!
WINNERS!
WINNERS!
WINNERS!
WINNERS!

WINNERS! WINNERS! WINNERS!


ALL WINNERS HAVE BEEN
NOTIFIED BY EMAIL AND HAVE
UNTIL NOON ON NOVEMBER 10 TO
SEND ME THEIR INFO FOR THEIR BOOK

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

THANKS TO SHAWN AT HARPER COLLINS
I HAVE FIVE COPIES OF TO GIVE AWAY OF

HIGHEST DUTY

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

#7 holdenj

#23 Glenn

#27 Cindy

#18 g.g.

#9 rubynreba

CONGRATULATIONS!
*********************************

THANKS TO SARAH AND THE
SIMON & SCHUSTER PEOPLE, I HAVE
2 COPIES TO GIVE AWAY, (1 NEW, 1 ARC) OF
OVER THE HOLIDAYS

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

#39 Mitz

#33 Anonymous "Lynnie"

CONGRATULATIONS!

HIGHER DUTY REVIEW & BONUS ENTRY

HIGHEST DUTY
BY
CAPT. CHESLEY B. SULLENBERGER
AND JEFFREY ZASLOW

MY REVIEW:

On January 15, 2008, when Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger, nicknamed Sully, was flying US Airways Flight 1549 out of New York's LaGuardia Airport, a bird strike occurred. Captain Sullenberger used his lifetime of experience that included 19,700 hours of flying time to avoid any fatal mistakes and made an emergency landing. His time also as a crash investigator and cool head helped him to guide the 150,000 pound Airbus into the frigid waters of the Hudson River and saved all 155 passengers and crew members. The moment of impact was one that has impacted Sully's life ever since. Returning to his home in Danville, he was hailed a hero as he was all over the country. This fame came quickly and how he is dealing with it as well as his background and the description of that miraculous day are what make for a grand read in HIGHEST DUTY. It will pull you in right away and never let you land until the flight, er, book is finished.

Captain Sullenberger's book reads like a memoir and covers more issues than just the emergency landing. It tells of his dealing with the practical issues that arise as a result of price cuts in the airlines including less pilot experience being needed to fly. Sully tell about how his father shot himself to death back in 1995 when he was 78 years old. His dad was a dentist and was suffering from depression. Feeling helpless in that situation and blaming himself, as anyone would do losing a loved one like that, Sully talks about how he wants to work hard to protect people since he couldn't help his dad. He does this now by being more involved and committed to help in many ways.

Sully graduated from the Air Force Academy and did his master's program at Purdue. He strongly feels that his time as a fighter pilot has made him a better pilot able to handle emergencies like this one. He includes stories about his family that illustrate what a good, caring and loving man he is. You meet his loving wife Lorrie and their two adopted daughters. They lead a normal life but not without everyday problems many of us experience such as dealing with a 40% pay cut and loss of his pension in these hard times. He also talks about how the incident catapulted him to fame such that he realizes he and his family's lives will never be the same.

The last part of the book details that fateful day and yields information I had not known before. I enjoyed this book and upon finishing it, felt like I knew Captain Sullenberger personally. It was a fast read as it kept your interest and you wouldn't want to put it down.

BONUS ENTRY

+1 BONUS ENTRY: Go to the original post here and comment on the review. You can give a fact from the review or just your honest appraisal of it...it won't effect your entry so if you don't like it, please say so.

REMEMBER:

DEADLINE TO ENTER IS

6 PM, EST, NOVEMBER 8
THAT'S TONIGHT!!

GOOD LUCK!

THE PAPER BAG CHRISTMAS: PREVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

A BINGLE BELLS BOOK CHOICE


THE PAPER BAG CHRISTMAS

BY KEVIN ALAN MILNE

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Dr. Christopher Ringle is the last person you'd expect to find moonlighting as Santa Claus at the mall on the day after Thanksgiving. But it is there that he meets a young man named Molar Alan, who desperately needs a new perspective on the underlying value of Christmas. Dr. Ringle recruits Mo and his older brother as volunteers at a nearby children's hospital for the holiday season. At the hospital, Mo is tasked to help bring holiday cheer to the young cancer patients on the fifth floor. His biggest challenge is befriending a decidedly angry girl who is so embarrassed by her scarred appearance that she hides her face behind the safety of a paper bag.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kevin Milne was born in Portland, Oregon on June 13, 1973. As with the main character of his book, The Paper Bag Christmas, Kevin’s father, Robert Milne, was in the middle of his final examination of dental school when he was notified that Kevin’s entrance into the world was imminent. Robert left his exam, ran over to the nearby delivery room just in time to see his son born, and then raced back to finish the test. Robert and his wife, Diana, toyed for a full week with the idea of naming their child Molar in honor of Robert’s favorite tooth, but reason eventually won out and baby Kevin was taken home from the hospital.

Eighteen years later Kevin graduated from Sherwood High School in Sherwood, Oregon, a small country town outside of Portland. In college, Mr. Milne studied anything and everything that caught his interest. In his first two years as an undergraduate student he changed majors nearly a dozen times, studying such varied fields as film, journalism, communications, philosophy, pre-dentistry, advertising, pre-law, pre-medicine, political science, and German, then finally earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. Just about the only thing he didn’t study was business, which, ironically, is what he chose to pursue in graduate school, earning an MBA at Pennsylvania State University in 2000.

Today, Kevin is a business professional by day, an author by night, and a husband and father around the clock. He and his wife Rebecca were married in Washington D.C. in 1995. They now reside in Kevin’s hometown of Sherwood, Oregon, where they are the proud parents of five children: Mikayla, Kamry, Mary, Emma, & Kyler (aka "the boy").

Chief among Kevin’s personal interests is international travel. To date he has spent time in Austria, Bermuda, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Singapore, Slovenia, and Ukraine.

Mr. Milne has also lived in many diverse places since his dental-exam birth in 1973, including Oregon, Washington DC, California, Hawaii, Utah, Austria, Croatia, Pennsylvania, New York, and Vermont.

READING GROUP GUIDE--GREAT QUESTIONS TO USE WITH YOUR BOOK CLUB:

1. Molar and Aaron volunteer at the hospital to help the kids there, but in what way did those kids help the brothers?

2. What role does volunteering play in your life?

3.. Through Madhu’s persistence, Molar and Aaron are forced to question not only the origins of Santa Claus, but also the underlying purpose and meaning of Christmas. What does Christmas mean to you?

4. Did this book change the way you think about Christmas?

5. If you could ask for only one thing for Christmas, what would it be?

6. Do you think Dr. Ringle really was Santa Claus?

7. How are Katrina and Madhu different (or the same) in terms of how they cope with personal adversity? Are you more like Katrina or Madhu?

8. Which character changes or evolves the most through the course of the story? What triggered the change?

9. What are the most prominent themes throughout the novel? If you could boil the author’s message down to one word, what would it be?

10. Katrina tries hard to hide her appearance from others. What eventually motivates her to remove the bag? Do any other characters try to hide parts of themselves (flaws, habits, beliefs, etc.) from others?

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO MIRIAM AND THE
HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, I HAVE
5 COPIES OF THIS HOLIDAY
BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.

RULES:

--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
--PUT YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN THE COMMENT
---ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: Comment below by answering either question #2 or #5 in the Reading Group Guide questions above.

+1 MORE ENTRY: Comment on if you follow and where/how, or follow by joining through the Google Friend Connect in the left column of this blog.

+1 MORE ENTRY: Enter one other of my UPCOMING giveaways (NOT ONE YOU ALREADY ENTERED---ONE THAT WILL POST IN THE FUTURE) and then come back here and tell me the contest is that you entered.

ALL ENTRIES ARE DUE BY
6 PM, EST, NOVEMBER 30

THANKS FOR ENTERING AND


GOOD LUCK TO ALL!

FIERCE STYLE: REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

A BINGLE BELLS BOOK CHOICE

A GREAT GIFT FOR THE
BOOK LOVER ON YOUR LIST!
FIERCE STYLE
HOW TO BE YOUR MOST
FABULOUS SELF
by CHRISTIAN SIRIANO

ABOUT THE BOOK:

In 2008, Christian Siriano made headlines as the youngest designer to win the hit reality series Project Runway. But the now twenty-three-year-old is bigger than a TV celebrity. From his prodigious fashion talent to his one-of-a-kind personality, Christian is the embodiment of fierce style.

Now in his first book, he helps readers discover how to look, feel, and act fierce in everyday life. With tips from some of fashion and Hollywood's biggest names -including Victoria Beckham, Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, and Vanessa Williams -- along with gorgeous original sketches by Christian, never-before-heard stories, and behind-the-scenes photos, he tells his journey of developing his own fashion sense and overcoming obstacles to success.

Giving advice on creating personal style, sharing tips on building self-confidence, and revealing his own list of fashion dos and don'ts, Christian shows how to use one's unique strengths to get ahead - and go from tickity-tack to totally flawless.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Christian Siriano, 23, was born to design. Raised by a creative family in Annapolis, Maryland, Christian began designing at just 13 years old and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts and the American Intercontinental University in London, where he interned with punk legend Vivienne Westwood, and with Alexander McQueen. Upon returning to the United States and moving to New York City, Christian's big break came when he earned a spot on season four of Bravo's hit program Project Runway. Despite fierce competition, Christian became the show's youngest winner, fan favorite, and a rising star in the fashion world.

Since winning, Christian has designed for a growing list of celebrity clients which includes: style icon Victoria Beckham; supermodel Heidi Klum; actresses Mena Suvari, Vanessa Williams, Becki Newton, Maggie Grace, Tori Spelling, Shailene Woodley, Katrina Bowden, and Whoopi Goldberg in her role as host of the 2008 Tony Awards; and singers Lady GaGa, Pink, Estelle, Nicole Scherzinger and the Pussycat Dolls, Thalia, and Kimberley Locke. He has signed on to design a full couture collection to appear in the upcoming film Eloise in Paris, starring Uma Thurman.

Christian's upcoming projects include joining the likes of Abaete and Alice + Olivia in creating a line of shoes and bags for Payless which will be available in September 2009, to be followed by a separate holiday collection in December. He has also created a line of make-up for Victoria's Secret that will be sold in stores around the country beginning in August, the colors for which were inspired by ancient Egypt and complement his Fall 2009 collection. He will premiere a special holiday collaboration with Starbucks in November, and collaborated last year with Puma.

Christian Siriano shows a full collection every season as part of New York Fashion Week, with past shows being sponsored by LG, Sprint, Victoria's Secret, Cibu International, and Aveda. Echoing his comments that Christian is "his generation's Marc Jacobs," Tim Gunn has remained a supporter since Christian's time on Project Runway. "I'm extremely proud of him," he stated to Newsday. "He really is the next great American fashion designer, I'm confident of it."

MY REVIEW:

If you are a fan of the popular show "PROJECT RUNWAY", then you know that Christian Siriano was the youngest, and perhaps, the quirkiest, of designers but he has taken those talents and marketed them into a hugely successful young designing empire. In FIERCE STYLE, Christian includes some background on his life as well as some really good advice to the every day woman on what to wear and how to wear it. I was surprised as I waited for lovely photographs, and they are definitely there, but not as I thought. I imagined reed thin girls in clothes I'd never see in my town, let alone on my body! Instead Christian gives some really common sense advice so anyone can look fashionable without having to live in the garment district of Manhattan. For instance, he shows a model in an amazing Burberry trench coat, but recreates it with a great looking similar coat from more affordable Banana Republic. Or he shows how you can pick up some basic items and cute accessories at places even like Target and put them together to look great.

The book is divided into 4 main sections. In "Lady You Look Fabulous!!", he shows how to dress your body type. So depending on small waist, big hips--whatever, he shows you the tricks. "Finding Your Inner Ferocia" is a section that help you learn to love yourself and build self-esteem which will always make you look better no matter what you wear if you where it right. The other sections, "Every Day is a Runway" and "Inspire Me" again are aimed at helping you use what are your best assets to their fullest. Writing about how to make the most of every day and being organized speaks of someone far wiser than young Christian.

And of course, besides all this good information and advice, there are the clothes and the contagious personality of Christian Seriano's sense of humor and fun. He is a great model of what a success story can look like and so far represents well. I recommend this for those who not only love fashion but also those who want a really lovely, well done book that entertains a great deal and teaches along the way as well.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO ANNA AND THE
HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, I HAVE
ONE COPY OF THIS ENCHANTING
BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.

RULES:
--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER

+1 ENTRY: GO TO CHRISTIAN SIRIANO'S WEBSITE HERE AND COMMENT ON SOMETHING INTERESTING YOU FOUND AFTER LOOKING AROUND A WHILE

+1 MORE ENTRY: Blog or Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link in your comment!

+1 MORE ENTRY: Follow on Google Connect (see left hand sidebar) or tell me how you do follow

ALL ENTRIES ARE DUE BY
6 PM, EST, NOVEMBER 29

I, ALEX CROSS: PREVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

A BINGLE BELLS BOOK CHOICE

A GREAT GIFT FOR THE
BOOK LOVER ON YOUR LIST!

I, ALEX CROSS
BY JAMES PATTERSON

ABOUT THE BOOK:
You can't run

Detective Alex Cross is pulled out of a family celebration and given the awful news that a beloved relative has been found brutally murdered. Alex vows to hunt down the killer, and soon learns that she was mixed up in one of Washington's wildest scenes. And she was not this killer's only victim.

You can't hide

The hunt for her murderer leads Alex and his girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, to a place where every fantasy is possible, if you have the credentials to get in. Alex and Bree are soon facing down some very important, very protected, very dangerous people in levels of society where only one thing is certain--they will do anything to keep their secrets safe.

Alex Cross is your only hope to stay alive

As Alex closes in on the killer, he discovers evidence that points to the unimaginable--a revelation that could rock the entire world. With the unstoppable action, unforeseeable twists, and edge-of-your-seat suspense that only a James Patterson thriller delivers, I, Alex Cross is the master of suspense at his sharpest and best.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

The subject of a recent Time magazine feature called, "The Man Who Can't Miss," James Patterson is the bestselling author of the past year, bar none, with more than 16 million books sold in North America alone. In 2007, one of every 15 hardcover fiction books sold was a Patterson title. In total, James's books have sold an estimated 150 million copies worldwide. He is the first author to have #1 new titles simultaneously on The New York Times adult and children's lists and is the only author to have five new hardcover novels debut at #1 on the list in one year — a record-breaking feat he’s accomplished every year since 2005. To date, James Patterson has had nineteen consecutive #1 New York Times Bestselling Novels, and holds the New York Times record for most bestselling titles by a single author (40 total).

Patterson is a champion of reading and the founder of the PageTurner awards, which seek to spread the excitement and joy of books and reading in the United States. James's first foray into family fiction, the critically acclaimed Maximum Ride series, debuted on the New York Times list at #1 and remained there for 12 straight weeks. The series has so far made appearances on The New York Times bestsellers lists 87 times, proving that kids of all ages love page turners.

Patterson is the creator of the #1 new detective series of the past dozen years, featuring "Alex Cross" and including the Hollywood-adapted "Along Came a Spider" and "Kiss the Girls," starring Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman. He is also the creator of the #1 new detective series of the past five years, featuring Lindsay Boxer and the other members of the Women's Murder Club, from which the ABC television drama series is adapted. He has authored books behind six films on the Hollywood fast-track, including the upcoming Maximum Ride movie from Avi Arad, the producer of X-Men and Spiderman. Most recently, New Regency Pictures has optioned The Dangerous Days of Daniel X, James’s newest family Pageturner due out in July of 2008.

He is the author of novels — from The Thomas Berryman Number (1976) to Honeymoon (2005) — that have won awards including the Edgar, the BCA Mystery Guild's Thriller of the Year, the International Thriller of the Year award, and the Reader’s Digest Reader’s Choice Award.

One of Forbes magazine's Celebrity 100, James appeared as a guest star on the popular FOX TV show "The Simpsons" in March, 2007.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO MIRIAM AND THE
HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, I
AM ONCE AGAIN ABLE TO READ
AND GIVEAWAY MY FAVORITE
AUTHOR'S NEWEST BOOK DUE
OUT NOVEMBER 16!

I HAVE 5 COPIES TO GIVE AWAY!

THE RULES:

U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS
MUST BE SEPARATE
IN ORDER TO COUNT AS
MORE THAN ONE ENTRY



HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: GO TO JAMES PATTERSON'S WEBSITE AND CHECK IT OUT. THERE IS SO MUCH TO SEE. TELL ME THE NEXT BOOK AFTER THIS ONE THAT WILL BE COMING OUT. ALSO TELL ME ONE OTHER THING YOU FOUND OUT LOOKING AROUND THE SITE!

+1 MORE ENTRY: TELL ME IF YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG AND HOW. I HOPE YOU FOUND IN THE LEFT COLUMN THAT I HAVE ADDED A WAY SO YOU CAN SUBSCRIBE VIA EMAIL NOW! (I HOPE!) LOTS OF YOU WERE ASKING, SO YOU MAY WANT TO TRY IT!

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

+1 MORE ENTRY: TELL ME ABOUT ONE OTHER GIVEAWAY THAT IS STILL GOING ON HERE AT BOOKIN' WITH BINGO THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED. IF YOU HAVEN'T, GO ENTER SOME, AND YOU CAN COME BACK. LOTS OF GOOD STUFF TO TRY FOR!

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, NOVEMBER 30

GOOD LUCK!

BINGLE BELL BOOK: OVER THE HOLIDAYS--INTERVIEW AND A GREAT BONUS ENTRY!

A BINGLE BELLS BOOK CHOICE


OVER THE HOLIDAYS
BY SANDRA HARPER

REMINDER ABOUT THE BOOK:

The best holiday traditions are meant to be broken.

It's only December 1, and Vanessa Clayton has been dreading Christmas since she spotted tinseled trees at her local mall in September. Thankfully, she and her husband, JT, can't afford to drag their twin boys across the country to New England for the annual celebration at her stuffy sister-in-law Patience's home. Not that Vanessa has prepared a proper Christmas for her family in years, and she has less time than ever since she agreed to consult on the script of a local play. Her older sister, Thea, is no help -- she'd rather make art and flirt with surfers than babysit her nine-year-old nephews. Then Patience drops a holiday stress bomb: Her family will come to California instead.

In between "baking" cinnamon rolls for the school potluck and overbearing Patience testing her patience, Vanessa can't stop thinking about the difficult but charming playwright at work. Meanwhile, Patience's teenage daughter, Libby, obsesses over a college boy she has met by the pool, and Thea searches desperately for the meaning of Christmas -- for her latest installation, of course. As their holiday plans go comically awry, these four women discover the true spirit of the season is hidden in every festive surprise.

FUN FACTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

About Sandra Harper

• What is your birth date?:
  9/13
• Previous occupations:
  Is there enough space here??? In no particular order: bookseller, prep cook, server, sex educator, photographer's assistant, music executive's assistant, producer's assistant, ad agency assistant, salesgirl, video producer, animator's assistant
• Favorite job:
  Selling cookbooks at The Cook's Library in Los Angeles
• High school and/or college:
  University High School in West Los Angeles and USC
• Name of your favorite composer or music artist?:
  My Trinity: Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks, Carly Simon
• Favorite movie:
  Private Benjamin
• Favorite television show:
  Oooh, tough one. Probably "Six Feet Under" - even though it's off the air now

REVEALING QUESTIONS ABOUT SANDRA HARPER:

Q. How did you come to write Over the Holidays?

A. I'm a member of a highly secret sorority - The Christmas Conundrum Club. We have admitted our holiday shortcomings and have pledged to support one another with love, lattes and laughter from November 20th to January 1st. Our story needed to be told - so I've boldly confessed to everything.

Q. How would you describe your life in only 8 words?

A. What should I make for dinner??

Q. What is your motto or maxim?

A. She who perseveres wins

Q. How would you describe perfect happiness?

A. When my son tells me he loves me and he hasn't asked for anything.

Q. What’s your greatest fear?

A. I'll have to learn a new computer program

Q. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be?

A. On my way to a Broadway show in New York City

Q. With whom in history do you most identify?

A. Any woman who's come of age at fifty

Q. Which living person do you most admire?

A.Ina Garten - who wouldn't want to be making an apple crostata in that beautiful kitchen in the Hamptons?

Q. What do you regret most?

A. Leaving New York for a musician

Q. Who is your favorite fictional hero?

A. Let's see... I love Jo March and Elinor Dashwood for their intelligence, strength and grace. I love "The Provencial Lady" for her timeless portrayal of domestic life and her great sense of humor

Q. Who is your favorite fictional villain?

A. Daisy Buchanan...so often our enemies come in beautiful packages.

Q. If you could meet any historical character, who would it be and what would you say to him or her?

A. Auntie Mame - Can I move in with you?

Q. If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your days, what would it be?

A. Peanut butter

On Books and Writing:

Q. Who are your favorite authors?

A. Edith Wharton, E.M. Delafield, Laurie Colwin, Jane Austen, Alexander McCall Smith, Sarah Waters, Michael Connelly, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Ina Garten, Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins, Deborah Madison, Susan Straight, Charles Dickens

Q. What are your 5 favorite books of all time?

A. Sense and Sensibility The Provincial Lady The Secret Garden The House of Mirth The Mists of Avalon

Q. Is there a book you love to reread?

A. My cookbooks. There is nothing more relaxing then lying in bed and read about food and cooking

Q. Do you have one sentence of advice for new writers?

A. Have you thought about medical school??

Q. What comment do you hear most often from your readers?

A. "I really related to your characters"

AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

SANDRA HARPER WAS NICE ENOUGH TO PARTICIPATE IN AN INTERVIEW FOR BOOKIN' WITH BINGO....SO HERE GOES:

1. What have you just finished reading?

The Sunday New York Times. It takes days to finish.

2. What books would you say made the biggest impression on you, especially starting out?

My first stories were screenplays, and the work of Billy Wilder and Preston Sturges really impressed me. Probably because the women in those films were strong, funny and memorable. I have always loved a great female character, be it the tragic heroines in Edith Wharton or the happier gals of Jane Austen.

3. What gets you started on a new book? A character, or a story idea or...?

I usually begin with a setting and then find the characters in that world. For example with "High Tea," I wanted to write about a tearoom because I love the food and tradition and ceremony of tearooms. For "Over The Holidays," I thought a story about the pressures of the holiday season would be juicy. Once I have my idea, I lie on my bed with my notebook or I sit at the computer and I wait for the characters to show up.

4. What is something about you that you would want people to know about you that we don't know?

That I am much younger in person. Really. I'm more like twenty-five.

5. What is your best advice to anyone, including young people, who want to be writers?

First off I would say definitely go for medical school. But if that isn't challenging enough then just

keep writing and don't worry if you don't have instant success. It took me two centuries to get published but in that time I had lots of jobs and learned many important skills. For example: the proper way to fold a T-shirt and how to bake a delicious apple pie.

6. What is something you'd like to share with us about writing your favorite genre in general.

I write comedy which is supposed to read "effortless" but in reality it's quite the opposite! A considerable amount of polishing is required to be light and entertaining. So don't be discouraged if you have to go over something many, many times. And if you are feeling frustrated....dark chocolate and a walk to the nearest bookstore will turn it around.

BONUS ENTRY

REMEMBER!!!!
I HAVE ONE COPY OF THIS
BOOK AND WANT TO SHARE THE JOY
WITH ONE SPECIAL WINNER!

RULES:

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY (SORRY)
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--EMAIL MUST BE IN YOUR COMMENT

+1 MORE ENTRY: GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL POST OF THIS GIVEAWAY BY CLICKING HERE AND COMMENT ON TWO THINGS YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT SANDRA HARPER....AND PLEASE TRY NOT TO JUST COPY THE PERSON WHO COMMENTED IN FRONT OF YOU

GOOD LUCK!

ANNE FRANK and EVENINGS AT THE ARGENTINE CLUB WINNERS!

ALL WINNERS FOR BOTH GIVEAWAYS
WERE NOTIFIED BY EMAIL AND HAVE
UNTIL NOON ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8
TO SEND ME THEIR INFO FOR THEIR BOOKS
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
ANNE FRANK
THE BOOK, THE LIFE, THE AFTERLIFE
BY FRANCINE PROSE

THANKS TO KYLE AND NICE PEOPLE
AT HARPER COLLINS PUBLISHING,
I HAVE 3 COPIES OF THIS AMAZING BOOK
TO GIVE AWAY.

AND THE WINNERS ARE..

#34 The Girl from the Ghetto

#39 Margie

#10 Julie P.

CONGRATULATIONS!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

EVENINGS AT THE ARGENTINE CLUB
by JULIA AMANTE

THANKS TO MIRIAM AND VALERIE, AND
THE HACHETTE BOOK GROUP,
I HAVE 5 COPIES OF THIS FABULOUS
BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

#17 Jaime

#1 bermudaonion

#11 nfmgirl

#6 pippirose

#4 kalynnick

CONGRATULATIONS!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY : AUTHOR INTERVIEW and BONUS ENTRY

A BINGLE BELLS BOOK CHOICE

A GREAT GIFT FOR THE
BOOK LOVER ON YOUR LIST!
A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY
BY LAUREN GRODSTEIN

AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

Welcome to BOOKIN' WITH BINGO, Lauren Grodstein. I have had the pleasure of reading A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY and am so thrilled you could stop by for an interview. After people read about the book, and surely with my review (I hope) they are going to want more information on you. Can you tell us where to go to find out news on you? and what is your latest work? and anything else you'd like to share so we can know you a little better?

Sure – my website is www.laurengrodstein.com. My new novel is called “A Friend of the Family,” which will be published by Algonquin in November. I’m the author of another novel, “Reproduction is the Flaw of Love” (Dial, 2004) and a story collection, “The Best of Animals” (Persea, 2002). I teach creative writing at Rutgers-Camden, and I live in Moorestown, NJ, with my husband and son.

What have you just finished reading?

I just finished reading a book called “The Pine Barrens,” by John McPhee, which is about a hidden corner of New Jersey called, appropriately enough, the Pine Barrens. I grew up in the Garden State, I moved here again last year, and I’ve been teaching at Rutgers, New Jersey’s state university, since 2005 – so you’d think I’d know most of what there is to know about the place. But I keep learning new and fascinating things – cranberry bogs! Peach orchards! A massive frozen foods operation manned by Japanese-American refugees from internment camps during World War 2! “The Pine Barrens” opened my eyes to a whole woodland history I was unaware of. It was published in 1968, and given to me by my husband, who is one of the best read people I’ve ever met.

What books would you say have made the biggest impression on you, especially starting out?

Hmmm… I love “The Rachel Papers,” by Martin Amis, which made me want to write a coming-of-age romance, which is what I tried for with “Reproduction,” my first novel. Amy Bloom’s first short story collection, “Come to Me,” is a book that still warms my heart, especially the story “Love is Not A Pie.” I love some of the books I was introduced to in graduate school, like George Saunders’s “CivilWarLand in Bad Decline,” and Barry Hannah’s “Airships,” and though I’ve never tried to write like these two authors, I still enjoy reading their work. And when I was a kid, I just adored books like “The Westing Game,” by Ellen Raskin and “The House With a Clock in Its Walls,” by John Bellairs. I read those books when I was nine, ten years old and thought, one day, I’m going to write one of these things too.

What gets you started on a new book? A character or story idea or….?

A character will just pop in my head, and he or she won’t let me go until I’m done telling his or her story. It’s pretty wild – and pretty relentless. When I’m not in the midst of a novel I’m on the hunt for one of these characters so I can start something new.

What is something about you that you would want people to know about you that we probably don’t know?

I am a phenomenal parallel-parker. Seriously. I’m like the New York Yankees of parallel parking. In blinding snow, driving a stick-shift, with New York City traffic slushing by me, I’ll park two inches from the curb every time. It’s a gift.

What is your best advice to anyone, including young people, who want to be writers?

Turn off your television. Then consider throwing it away. I know, I know – but it’s so easy to spend two hours in front of the television, and those are two hours you should probably spend writing. If you tell me, well, I watch most of my television at night, when I’m too tired to do anything else, my advice is: turn off the t.v., go to bed earlier, get up earlier, and write in the morning. If you say, I need the television for news, I’ll tell you: that’s why God invented newspapers. If you say, I need the television for entertainment, I would suggest you pick up a book. Which might make me someone you don’t want to talk to. But the truth is, I know far too many young writers who complain about not having time to write but know up-to-the-minute weigh-ins on The Biggest Loser. This suggests to me that they are not making the best time management decisions, and so much of writing success comes down to making the time to sit down and write.

What is something you would like to share with us about writing your favorite genre in general?

Hmmm… not sure I have a favorite genre, but I would say that my favorite thing about the whole novel-writing process, from the moment I start to the day I see it on the bookshelves, is when I’ve read the first draft and know I’m on to something. The draft might need a lot of work, it might have ferocious problems, but if those initial pages make me want to keep going on to draft two – well, nothing feels better than that.

And I think nothing feels better than reading a great book and so we thank you for A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY and for your time out for this interview. Thank you!

BONUS ENTRY for
A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY

+1 MORE ENTRY: After reading the Author Interview, go to the original Giveaway post by clicking HERE and tell something you found interesting about Author Lauren Grodstein OR what question YOU would have liked to ask her!

DEADLINE TO ENTER IS

6 PM, EST, NOVEMBER 24

GOOD LUCK!

ANNE FRANK: A REVIEW and BONUS ENTRY

ANNE FRANK:

THE BOOK, THE LIFE, THE AFTERLIFE
BY FRANCINE PROSE

MY REVIEW

In ANNE FRANK: THE BOOK, THE LIFE, THE AFTERLIFE author Francine Prose examines the work of Anne Frank and concludes her diary is not just the fictional writings of a young girl, but also a great piece of literature. She finds that Anne was an amazing writer and not just a girl making daily notations of the world around her.

Prose goes into the book itself and reviews the background of Anne's story. She tells how Anne was a remarkable young writer but that wasn't known...not during her time here on earth. Anne was the daughter of Otto Frank, a Dutch Jew. During World War II, he had taken the attic of his small factory and made it into a hiding place to keep his family safe and keep them from being sent away when the Nazis were rounding up the Jews and sending them to concentration camps. For two years the "attic people" slept during the day and did what needed to be done during the night. Only Otto's workers that he trusted knew they were there and helped to bring supplies and kept the secret to themselves. However, as we know, they were eventually found out and it tore Otto's family apart.

Prose tell us in the book how she thinks that Anne was very protective of her work, of her diary, learning to write as a very young child and obviously having a gift as exemplified in the book. Prose's research is complete and detailed. She writes of the real writer Anne was and how she made revisions in her diary and thus from that one can tell it wasn't merely a bunch of thoughts jotted down daily. Of course, when things went bad and they were discovered in their tiny attic, Anne was taken away and her diary left behind. She had told Otto how she wanted her diary to be published if she didn't come back. Prose goes into detail about how when Anne's father returned after the war and saw Anne's diary. He took her diary and revised it using her notes so that he wound up with the book we know today. Prose is able to give the storyline of how hard it was to get the book published and how from there it took on a life of its own.Anne Frank lived on through her words while tragically she died just a few weeks before her Bergen-Belsen camp was freed.

As you read this book, you will see that Prose compared all versions of Anne's book and came to realize what she long suspected. This wasn't just a young girl's diary but rather a writer who labored and revised this work as she knew deep down it would be published one day. She writes of how Anne is so observant and writes with keen detail that it is no wonder her diary makes whatever happens come alive.

In the last section, Prose goes into the way the story went from book to stage to film. How the various presentations were mostly bad and not representative of what Anne really was saying or who she really was. She spends some time tactfully addressing those who say there wasn't a Holocaust and condemning the diary. Finally, Prose makes the reader understand that no play, or movie, or diary even, can change who Anne was and what the real meaning of what she wrote was all about. The brilliance shines through no matter how much the attic tries to keep in the light.

BONUS ENTRY

+1 MORE ENTRY: Go back to the original post HERE after reading my review. Comment there about a book you would want to research and write a book about like Francine Prose did The Diary of Anne Frank

GOOD LUCK!
GIVEAWAY ENDS TONIGHT AT 6 PM, EST

REVIEW & BONUS ENTRIES: EVENINGS AT THE ARGENTINE CLUB

EVENINGS AT THE ARGENTINE CLUB
by JULIA AMANTE

MY REVIEW

A wonderful and timely story of immigrants who come to find the American dream and how their hopes and dreams can differ so from their children who are born into the country their parents have come to. The contrasting stories of two different couples will keep you turning the page to see what happens. As the parents, Jacqueline and Victor find their marriage falling apart here in the land of plenty, their daughter, Victoria, finds a never imagined passionate love affair.

When young Argentine American Eric returns home to Burbank, California, he is not the same young kid Victoria grew up with. He is handsome and successful and becomes interested in her, much to her surprise. They grew up together, yes, but things are different for him now. Victoria, meanwhile, dropped out of college, is working at her father's restaurant which is a gathering place for the Argentine community, and she has low self-esteem as she is slightly overweight, insecure, and shocked by Eric's attention. But this romance blossoms..I mean REALLY blossoms...and makes Victoria wonder if Eric is back in town for good, or is this too good to be true?At the same time, Eric's parents are wondering the same thing. Has there son left them for good or will he return and dutifully come back and be part of their lives as he would have been had they not left to come to America.

Meanwhile, Victoria's parents find their marriage coming undone. Victor, a bit stereotypical but not unlike what we see quite often in life, runs the club and runs the family. He is stubborn and a very macho, tough husband, as well as father. Jacqueline seems to take her role as wife as if it were written that she must hide her feelings when she knows her husband is unfaithful, as well as the emotional pain from her children grown, her house empty, and her dreams unfulfilled. She is lonely and longs for home and her younger years.

The story touches on all aspects of the American Dream. How the people in this story do come from another country and do want what America can offer for them and for their children, but they do not forget where they come from. That pride, independence, and love of family are all admirable traits of the characters in this story and people in every day life. I found that author Julia Amante writes beautifully and grabs the reader's attention by drawing you in emotionally to the lives of each of the characters. She also uses a fair amount of Spanish in the story but her context clues (sorry that is the reading teacher in me) make it easy for even non-Spanish speaking readers to still understand what is going on. I really liked this book and recommend it especially for those who want to explore different cultures they may not be familiar with. An evening with this book I think is comparable to a night at the Argentine Club...and an in depth character study of all who are in attendance.

BONUS ENTRY

+ 3 MORE ENTRIES: Go back to the first post of this story and read the first and second questions listed in the Reading Group Guide at the end of the post. Choose one to answer YES or NO and tell WHY you think that, having read about the book and my review. Certainly your own beliefs and feelings can enter into your answer. There is no right or wrong answer unless you fail to say YES or NO and to tell WHY you answered that way.

GOOD LUCK!