Monday, March 16, 2009

ST. PATRICK'S DAY BOOK SUGGESTIONS AND GIVEAWAY

Bingo Fanatics
BINGO'S St. Patrick's Day Reading
Suggestions and Giveaway!
1)ANGELA'S ASHES by Frank McCourt: Review from Amazon.com

"Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood," writes Frank McCourt in Angela's Ashes. "Worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood." Welcome, then, to the pinnacle of the miserable Irish Catholic childhood. Born in Brooklyn in 1930 to recent Irish immigrants Malachy and Angela McCourt, Frank grew up in Limerick after his parents returned to Ireland because of poor prospects in America. It turns out that prospects weren't so great back in the old country either--not with Malachy for a father. A chronically unemployed and nearly unemployable alcoholic, he appears to be the model on which many of our more insulting cliches about drunken Irish manhood are based. Mix in abject poverty and frequent death and illness and you have all the makings of a truly difficult early life. Fortunately, in McCourt's able hands it also has all the makings for a compelling memoir

2) TARA ROAD by Maeve Binchy from Marve Binchy's official website

Ria Lynch and Marilyn Vine have never met. Their lives have almost nothing in common. Ria lives in a big ramshackle house in Tara Road, Dublin, which is filled day and night with the family and friends on whom she depends. Marilyn lives in a college town in Connecticut, New England, absorbed in her career, an independent and private woman who is very much her own person.

Two more unlikely friends would be hard to find. Yet a chance phone call brings them together and they decide to exchange homes for the summer. Ria goes to America in the hope that the change will give her space and courage to sort out the huge crisis in her life that is threatening to destroy her. Marilyn goes to Ireland to recover in peace and quiet from the tragedy which she keeps secret from the world, little realising that Tara Road will prove to be the least quiet place on earth.

They borrow each other's houses, and during the course of that magical summer they find themselves borrowing something of each other's lives, until a story which began with loss and suffering grows into a story of discovery, unexpected friendship and new hope. By the time Ria and Marilyn eventually meet, they find that they have altered the course of each other's lives for ever.


3) GALWAY BAY by Mary Pat Kelly from www.marypatkelly.com

To the right is the radio interview with Mary Pat Kelly. Click to listen to it as it is fascinating and many of our fellow bloggers are on there asking questions like Bermudiaonion and Booking Mama. Enjoy!

One family’s epic journey captures both the tragedy and triumph of the Irish-American experience—and echoes the myths and legends of
Ireland herself …In a hidden Ireland where fishermen and tenant farmers find solace in their ancient faith, songs, stories, and communal celebrations, young Honora Keeley and Michael Kelly wed and start a family. Because they and their countrymen must sell both their catch and their crops to pay exorbitant rents, potatoes have become their only staple food.
But when blight destroys the potatoes three times in four years, a callous government and uncaring landlords turn a natural disaster into The Great Starvation that will kill one million. Honora and Michael vow their children will live. The family joins two million other Irish refugees—victims saving themselves—in the emigration from
Ireland.
Danger and hardship await them in
America. Honora, her unconventional sister Máire, and their children help transform Chicago from a frontier town to the “City of the Century.” The boys go on to fight in the Civil War and enlist in the cause of Ireland’s freedom.Spanning six generations and filled with joy, sadness, and heroism, GALWAY BAY sheds brilliant light on the ancestors of today’s forty-four million Irish Americans—and is a universal story you will never forget.

GALWAY BAY GIVEAWAY
Want a copy of GALWAY BAY? This is the EASIEST GIVEAWAY EVER!
--Tell one thing that is symbolic of St. Patrick's Day
--One entry per person ONLY
--Give your name and email address
--U.S. and Canada entries only, No P.O. Boxes Please
--DATES: March 17 until NOON on March 30

32 comments:

nfmgirl said...

Neat! Green beer would by symbolic of St. Patty's Day. Thanks for the opportunity!

Heather J
nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com

Anonymous said...

I would like to win a copy of Galway Bay.

Thanks!

nbmars AT yahoo DOT com

Gwendolyn B. said...

Wow! I'm No.1? Well, St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland! Thank you for the chance to win a copy of GALWAY BAY - I feel like the only person on the planet who hasn't read it!
geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com

Minding Spot said...

Shamrock!

wendyhines (at) hotmail (dot) com

thanks for the chance :)

Marie said...

The thing that comes to mind when I think of St. Patrick's Day is shamrocks. Please enter me. Thanks.

Marie
lazydaisy0413[at]yahoo[dot]com

Kate Karyus Quinn said...

I think green beer is symbolic of St. Patrick's day;)

I love Angela's Ashes, BTW, I even used it as an example on my blog yesterday, although I didn't even think that it was also perfect for St. Paddy's day reading as well!

Sage Ravenwood said...

Symbolic of St. Patrick's Day would be the wearing of the green. Thanks for this opportunity! Indigo

ravensquietscreams@gmail.com

Unknown said...

The shamrock.

bridget3420(at)yahoo(dot)com

Katie said...

Four lead clovers & the color green!
Katie
bball11kt@sbcglobal.net

loves6cats said...

The one thing that I know that is symbolic of St. Patrick's Day is wearing green...to let everyone know you are celebrating and acknowledging the day.

Kristi said...

I'm the first one?? Symbolic - how about 4 leaf clovers? Would love to win Galway Bay.

kherbrand at comcast dot net

Annie1 said...

Something that is symbolic of St Patty's Day in my city is Green Beer! I prefer four leaf clovers though lol

Thanks

Anne
nancyrobster@gmail.com

kalea_kane said...

Hey Bingo!
I already have the book, but GREAT givewaway! I wanted to answer you about FIRST. You post about books you have read from the tour definitely, but we also post books on the tour as a courtesy, because sometimes the houses can only send out so many. I request what looks good to me, and hopefully I get it. Sommetimes it is all timing too. :) It is a great group. Everyone is so nice, and if you like Christian fiction, it is really a good review opportunity for that genre. :)

HUGS

Kat Bryan said...

Happy St. Pat's! One thing that is symbolic of today is the shamrock.

Anonymous said...

This is an *addendum* to my previous post because I forgot to put one symbolic thing. I would have to say, green bagels.

nbmars AT yahoo DOT com

drey said...

Hi Bingo! I'd love to win Galway Bay! =) One thing symbolic of St. Patty's is the green river running through Chicago... =P (yes, on purpose; no, I don't know if they still do it)

Kristen said...

Symbolic of St. Patrick's Day? Why the wearing o' the green, of course (and being pinched if you don't).

Kristen (whitreidsmama (at) yahoo (dot) com

Tara said...

I'll have to say Irish Dancing! Please enter me.

Unknown said...

Shamrocks.

kolists a/t gmail do\t com

Unknown said...

Shamrocks and Leprechauns

kolists a/t gmail do\t com

Jenners said...

I love the idea of a St. Patty's day reading post! Great idea! I think I started Angela's Ashes YEARS ago but can't remember if I finished it! And I used to read Maeve Binchy back in the day but stopped for some reason. Thanks for reminding me of some "old" friends.

Debs Desk said...

Green beer and St.Patricks day just go together. Please include me in your giveaway.
Thanks
Debbie
debdesk9@verizon.net

Ladytink_534 said...

I read Angela's Ashes a couple of years after it was published. Hope you had a great St. Patrick's Day and maybe caught a leprechaun or two!

Toni said...

Angela's Ashes is lyrical and mesmerizing. I loved it. It is one of the few books that I have read twice along with the other McCourt Books. No need to enter me... Just checking out blogs today.

CherylS22 said...

Shamrocks & green beer! Thanks for the opportunity to win this book - please count me in!

Thanks,
Cheryl
megalon22 at yahoo dot com

Brimful Curiosities said...

Irish music (like The Chieftains), Irish dancers - things that remind me of St. Patty's day. pvilletoygirl ta gmail tod com

Anita Yancey said...

Wearing the color green on St. Patrick's Day. The book sounds great. I would love to read it. Please enter me. Thanks!

ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net

sharon54220 said...

I would really like to be entered in this contest. Great giveaway.
I think of Corned Beef & Cabbage. But I can eat Corned Beef anytime.

sharon54220@gmail.com

sharon54220 said...

I am also a subscriber via Google Reader.

sharon54220@gmail.com

Amy said...

I would love to win this book! Thank you!
How about Guiness and Rosemary Lamb stew!
Amy Castellano
castellanoamy@yahoo.com

Wrighty said...

I didn't think I would be that interested in this book but after reading everyone's reviews I think I really need to read it. I haven't heard a single bad thing about it. Please include me too.

I live in a small town but we have many Irish Catholic families here. St. Patrick's Day is a fun celebration that includes parades, corned beef and cabbage and just a wee bit of alcohol. Do I have to pick just one? The parades would be my pick. Thanks for another great contest!

5wrights1[at]verizon[dot]net

Diana D said...

The first thing that came to mind was green beer. Thanks for having the wonderful giveaway.

dianad8008 AT gmail DOT com

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