BINGO'S BOOKIN' REVIEWS

MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD

by Francisco Stork

Marcelo Sandoval is an autistic seventeen-year-old young man with the specific autistic trait of Asperger’s Syndrome that makes it hard for him to communicate and handle social situations. He attends a special education school called Paterson which is for students with varied disorders. At Paterson, Marcelo has been somewhat protected and his special trait of hearing music that no one else can hear is dealt with by specialists. There they study his “music” and what it can mean and represent. His love of animals, especially horses, is satisfied as he is allowed to work in the stables at school.

Also at Paterson, and as he grows up, his mother and sister instill in Marcelo the secure environment where he is accepted for who he is and there is no judgment. The story gives those not familiar with Asperger Syndrome a realistic look at some of the characteristics that one must be aware of when living with someone with the syndrome. For instance, Marcelo doesn’t understand sarcasm like other AS people. In my experience with AS students, I had to learn that they also don’t respond to facial expressions such as disapproval or smiling. Unfortunately, Marcelo’s father thinks he should experience more of the real life world. His dad, Arturo, is a well known lawyer and wants Marcelo to experience situations that everyone deals with so he sets Marcelo up with a job in the mail room for the summer prior to his senior year.

This work experience is obviously life changing for Marcelo. He meets Jasmine, a lovely girl, and Wendell, the company partner’s son, when he goes to the job. Here Marcelo is not sheltered and is opened to dealing with feelings such as anger, trust, jealousy, joy, failure, and longing. While working with some files, Marcelo also finds a picture of a girl with half a face and for some reason connects with the real world because of it. He begins to learn what it means for things to be unfair and how people suffer and what he can do about it. He also finds that the music he always hears which keeps him balanced begins to fade as life complicates things with all these other emotions including possibly falling in love. How this summer will change Marcelo’s life is a question answered perhaps when you read the whole book.

MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD is a wonderful, quick read and one I think everyone should read so as to get a realistic picture of autistic, Asperger people. Currently, 1 out of 150 babies born will have some kind of autism. Marcelo gets an education on life in this book, as will the people who read the book.

Submitted by K. H. (Bingo) originally to Amazon Vine

BINGO'S BIG NEWS PUZZLE!

And so it is Wednesday,
And some call it "Hump Day",
But no matter what you say,
It is REALLY BIG NEWS DAY!

.... here at BOOKIN' WITH BINGO!



(and you thought I was getting into poetry, didn't you?) WRONG!

BUT I can give you some hints as to what is coming right here within the next two months!!

Be prepared, don't miss a day, you'll be sorry if you do!

OK! So here are the hints! PUT ON YOUR THINKING CAPS!

1. SUPER BOWL= SUPER GIANT GIVEAWAY DAY
2. LOVE IS IN THE AIR ON FEBRUARY 14th...but that's not all!
3. KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED IN LATE FEBRUARY
4. MEN MAY MARRY IN MARCH
   
5. THE IDES OF MARCH, ARE NEITHER WEIRD AND MAY BE YOUR CUP OF TEA!

SO, comment below for fun and see how many of the hints YOU can figure out! The first, if any, to get all 5 hints correct, will get a special sur-prize from Bingo's Bookshelf!

PROFFESSOR BINGO SAYS CONGRATS!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE
2009 NEWBERY AWARD WINNER!

Neil Gaiman's, The Graveyard Book, a spooky tale of a boy raised in a cemetery by ghosts and werewolves, has won the 2009 John Newbery Medal,. This is considered the country’s top prize in children’s literature and was announced yesterday...way to go Neil!

Mary Quattlebaum, from The Washington Post, says about this book that "The book's power lies in Gaiman's ability to bring to quirky life (pun intended) the graveyard's many denizens, including a protective vampire and a feisty medieval witch. Like a bite of dark Halloween chocolate, this novel proves rich, bittersweet and very satisfying."

BOOKIN' REVIEWS for KIDS with "Professor" Bingo

LITTLE POLAR BEAR AND THE WHALES
by Hans de Beer

Ages: pre-school-6

Lars, the Little Polar Bear, who is the hero of seven other favorite LITTLE POLAR BEAR stories, appears in a story where the weather in his North Pole home is making trouble for some newfound friends. Following a very long and dark winter, Lars is happy to see some melting snow and warm weather. His parents are not. He can’t understand it as he enjoys a warm bath in melting snow, smelling flowers, and discovers a half submerged sunken sailing ship. It is there he makes a new friend in a cormorant bird named Conrad, but who goes by Conny.

Conny and Lars have some fun with playful beluga whales and even a large gray whale until a scary whaling ship comes along. Lars is clever enough to show his new playmates a place to hide in a small bay where the ship won’t go only to have it blocked by breaking ice from a glacier. Will the whales be trapped? Will Lars be able to save them? As always, a happy ending concludes the Little Polar Bear tale but gives young people reason for many questions that will hopefully lead to discussions about why the North Pole was so warm and why it isn’t good for the creatures that live there including the adorable Lars, the Little Polar Bear.

Hans de Beers creates a beautiful, amusing, and educational tale for youngsters along with his talented watercolor pictures and his heroic character, the Little Polar Bear. The delightful story of friendships will please followers of this series while it will also remind them how fragile nature is and what part we all must play in it to make things better.

Submitted by K. H. (Bingo) to Curled Up with a Good Book for Children

BROOKLYN BRIDGE by Karen Hesse

Ages: 8-12

Well worth the five year wait, award winning author Karen Hesse’s new book, Brooklyn Bridge, is a memorable mix of historical fiction with a trace of enchanting fantasy. Hesse introduces this immigrant tale with a quote by Isaac Newton:” We build too many walls and not enough bridges”. This quote could be considered “a spoiler” if one could interpret its relevance prior to reading the story. However, readers must finish the book in order to see what Ms. Hesse means by using this quotation symbolically in relation to the actual Brooklyn Bridge and humanity, especially in the special era she wrote about.

In the early 1900s, the family of fourteen-year-old Joseph Michtom has come from Russia to settle in America where the streets are made of gold. His is the typical lively and colorful family who has come to live the immigrant life of 1903 Brooklyn. Joseph who has a pretty good life for a kid in those days, filled with stick ball, a good home, family and lots of friends, is blessed but his dream centers on going to the new and thrilling amusement park known as Coney Island. However, Coney Island must wait. The Michtom family, in Joseph’s mind, is doing fine with their candy store when suddenly his Dad gets an idea that instead of making toy bears out of metal or wood, they should be made of cloth. Before you can say ‘teddy bear’, the idea takes off and the family is swamped with the demand for these bears. Joseph’s family time is now devoted to this new “invention” and there is no time for Coney Island much less his “regular” boyhood life of friends and frivolity.

Interspersed between the chapters that tell of Joseph and his family and friends comes the haunting story of the kids who live under the bridge. Karen Hesse writes of these somewhat mystical children in a different, almost poetic way. Theirs is a life of suffering and misery which includes their individual stories of horror, starvation, pain, and even death. The central character under the bridge is one known as the Radiant Boy who glides in like a phantom spirit and frightens the children as they know that when he comes and takes someone with him, the child never comes back. How these children relate to Joseph’s story is almost like a parallel universe in that Joseph doesn’t seem to even meet any of these kids or acknowledge their existence for the most part. Their connection to Joseph, however, is one that is subtly alluded to throughout the story but it isn’t until the end that the reader will see the significance of this story within the main story.

What is the connection between the kids under the bridge and Joseph? As for Coney Island, does Joseph ever get there? As you read this remarkable work by Karen Hesse, the answers to these and many more questions just may satisfyingly and incredibly be revealed. I recommend this as a perfect book for children 11 and older, as well as for adults who want to learn more about a time when our ancestors migrated to this country and settled in that magical place in New York known as Brooklyn. For those of us who know the area, the allure and magnificence of Coney Island and the wonderful Brooklyn Bridge will never cease to exist but rather be enhanced and remembered by reading Karen Hesse’s novel, Brooklyn Bridge.

Chris Sheban did the wonderful cover art and adds to this amazing book with his interior illustrations as well.

Submitted by K. H. (Bingo) originally to Harper Collins Kids

BINGO'S WIN A BOOK CONTEST OVER

Bingo's WIN A BOOK CONTEST, the first in the history of BOOKIN' WITH BINGO is now officially closed. Thank you to all who entered to win the autographed copy of CREEPERS by Joanne Dahme. There were lots of entries and so the official number generator will begin the work of finding the winner. Winner will be posted here by noon, Saturday, January 24, and will be contacted by email.

IF you don't win this one, don't give up as the new Hachette sponsored contest to win James Patterson's SUNDAYS AT TIFFANY'S has started and you can try for that one! Good luck and thanks for entering!

ATTENTION AND Ta Da! A winner has been confirmed. Using random.org, the winner is FUGIT who will receive his prize this week! Thank you to all who entered and please take another chance and enter my new contest for James Patterson's SUNDAYS AT TIFFANY'S! That contest is open until Feb. 1 and there is a chance for two entries! I appreciate all of you who participated and helped to make my first contest giveaway such a huge success! Have a great and LUCKY weekend to all! Bingo

BINGO'S FRIDAY FREEBIE FUN

REMINDER: Tonight at midnight, EST, is your last chance to enter the contest for an autographed copy of CREEPERS by Joanne Dahme! Don't miss your chance to be the first to shout "BINGO! I won". Winner will be notified tomorrow by 6 PM, EST. Remember to go to the CREEPERS Contest post here on Bookin' With Bingo to comment and enter for the copy of CREEPERS!

NEW CONTEST

SUNDAYS AT TIFFANY'S

by James Patterson

Today I announce my next giveaway! Thanks to the generous people at Hachette Publishing, they will send the winner a brand new copy of James Patterson's huge best seller, SUNDAYS AT TIFFANY'S!

Here are the rules...boy is this one easy!

1) Comment for this giveaway on this post and tell me what your favorite James Patterson book is. Everyone posting a comment here will get one entry.

2) Anyone who posts a comment about this contest on their own blog and comments to let me know where it is posted, gets a second entry! So now you could have two chances to win.

3) Contest runs from today, January 23 until midnight on February 1, 2009!

BOOKIN' BINGO'S INAUGURAL INTERVIEW AND REVIEW!

How fitting that on the day our country inaugurates our new President, I get to inaugurate my First Author interview! This is a lady, in the true sense of the word, who befriended me when I first began to write reviews and before BOOKIN' WITH BINGO was even a twinkle in my eye.

I took a chance and wrote to her for a copy of her new book to review because I thought, what have I got to lose? Well, I didn't lose but rather I gained! I gained an autographed copy of the book and more importantly a new friend and mentor. She not only sent me the new hardback copy of the book and autographed it, but she did it right away on her way to the airport as she was leaving town for a few days.

She got me off on the right foot and has remained a supporter whenever I needed her. I read and reviewed her marvelous book and then went out searching for any of her other books I hadn't read as I had only read one before this one and that was WOMAN IN RED (can you guess yet?).

This author was born on the Fourth of July so these colors also match her birthday as well as the posting of my INAUGURAL INTERVIEW! She has written 15 books including a cookbook and one I just received as a gift from a friend GARDEN OF LIES.

So without any further ado, let me introduce to you (Please hum "Hail to the Chief") the author with the fascinating biography who has appeared on The View and Good Morning, America as well as many other shows......

Ms. Eileen Goudge

Author of DOMESTIC AFFAIRS!!!!

What are you currently working on or working on next?

ONCE IN A BLUE MOON, to be published in October ’09. It’s the story of two sisters who are separated at a young age, one adopted by a loving family, the other bounced from one foster home to the next. What happens when they’re reunited in adulthood? It’s anything but smooth sailing…

I also have a novella coming out in time for Mother’s Day. THE DIARY is about sisters (what can I say – I have four of them!) who discover an old diary of their mother’s while cleaning out her attic. What they discover in the pages of the diary will come as a surprise to them…and to the reader.

What have you just finished reading?

I just read an interesting and heartwrenching first novel titled STILL ALICE, about a woman, a 50-year-old Harvard professor, who is diagnosed with early on-set Alzheimer’s. My worst nightmare! No happy ending here, but there is a note of hope.

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

When I was in the fourth grade, I read JANE EYRE and life was never the same after that. I was captivated from the first page and the last, and was inspired to launch my earliest efforts at writing . I blame Mr. Rochester for my early misapprehensions about men as well. (You know them – the moody, brooding types). To this day it is still the recipe for the ‘perfect’ novel – intrigue, romance, mystery, suspense, in all the right measures. I read it again recently and was just as captivated as I was at age nine!

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

The eternal question ‘what if?’ If I see someone on the subway, I have a whole story invented for them by the time he or she gets off at his or her stop. Sometimes an idea for a novel is sparked by a news story, but more often my ideas come from my own life. Luckily (or unluckily, depending on your point of view) I’ve led an interesting life. For more on that see my website at http://www.eileengoudge.com/.

After the success of SOMETHING WARM FROM THE OVEN, will there be another "cookbook" in your future?

I loved doing the cookbook but doubt I’ll do another one. For one thing, it’s a lot of work…and I had to chew a lot of sugarless gum to keep from gaining weight while testing all those recipes. Also, there’s no real money in it. If you’re not on TV, like Rachel Ray, forget it. Still, hearing from readers who’ve enjoyed my recipes truly warms my heart, and you can’t put a price on that.

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

Read, read, read. I was a voracious reader growing up – still am (when I have the time). It was the best preparation I could’ve had. Also, write something every day, even if only a blog or entry in a journal. Practice may not make for perfect, in every case, but it will put you on the path to getting published. One word of advice: Don’t start thinking about getting an agent until you’ve REALLY done the work.

BOOKIN' BINGO'S REVIEW OF DOMESTIC AFFAIRS

For Eileen Goudge to write a novel better than Woman in Red is something I never saw coming until I opened to the first page of this remarkable book. Nevertheless, in Domestic Affairs, Goudge has done just that! She brings us a love story on so many levels that it grabs you in the beginning and never lets go until the last page. First and foremost, this love story is about friends-and how although their friendship definitely is a roller coaster over time, it never loses its effect on the lives of the people it touches, nor the reader. It is also about how only a deep friendship like this can change people’s lives forever especially when secrets shared in that relationship remain unspoken for years.

The story starts with the friendship and alliance of Abigail Armstrong with Lila and her brother, Vaughn, Meriwhether. These three grow up from children to teens, sharing what at a certain point is essentially too much to share. These secrets they share will direct the paths their lives take as they are torn apart in their youth, but then brings them back together later as adults. When Abby’s mother, the housekeeper for Lila and Vaughn’s family is unceremoniously fired and chased from the only home Abby has ever known, horrific feelings and secrets go with Abby and her mother, Rosalie, as they leave the Meriwhether estate.

Fast forward twenty-five years and the proverbial shoe is on the other foot as Lila, once a high member of New York society, is brought down by the results of her husband’s illegal actions. When he cowardly commits suicide rather than take his punishment, Lila’s life falls apart. She is a pariah to those she once courted and was courted by. She is left without anything and the only work she could take on was if someone wanted a socialite to run a party. With not much call for that “skill”, in an ironic twist, Lila is saved when she is hired to be a housekeeper in the now very successful, Martha Stewart-like, media maven, Abigail Armstrong. While this NEW Abby now will only deal decently with her housekeeper, in memory of her now deceased mother, she is quite the opposite in the business world. A sharp tongue and iron fist enables Abigail to run a top-notch business, while trying to still hold on to her husband and family. When Lila becomes her housekeeper, the revenge should be sweet, but is it?

Into this duo, a third important female character, Concepcion Delgado, enters. As a mother who wants to revenge her daughter’s tragic death at what she believes is caused by Abby’s company and how it runs its “sweatshops” she is on a mission to confront the people responsible. The cost of producing inexpensive while highly desirable linens is too much when Concepcion’s daughter pays the price with her life. Concepcion travels to find the driven leader of this company that she feels took her child from her.

As these three very different lives come headed on a collision course and confrontation, Eileen Goudge has not settled to just reward readers with the results of this meeting. Goudge has not forgotten to also expertly stir into this mix tragedies, illness, suicide, teen angst and the only thing needed to complete the end product, a former lover. All that a reader could want is there for them to sink their teeth into. The final morsel leaves the reader satisfied but also sorry to see it end. This is a MUST READ for everyone!

BINGO'S BOOKIN' REVIEWS

THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE

The author of THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE, David Wroblewski wrote, “ We write the stories we wish we could read…..THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE came about because some time ago I wished I could read a novel about a boy and his dog…” Oh, that it would be so seemingly effortless for all of us to write such an amazing, mystifying, magnificent, thoughtful story like Wroblewski did! I often think of an idea that would make a good story but alas, you don’t see my name on the best seller list or even published. Acknowledging that the author took over ten years to write this phenomenal novel is not surprising. But what he has given to readers is a gift well worth that time.

THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE is a tale of love, and courage, and dedication. This is truly a character study even when some of the characters are dogs. The Sawtelle dogs are a mythical breed that was handed down from generations to the time when the story begins. Edgar Sawtelle, who was born mute, and speaks by sign language, is living with his parents, Gar and Trudy Sawtelle, on a breeding farm in northern Wisconsin in the 1970s. Edgar’s parents waited so long for a child and with Edgar’s birth, their life seems perfect and complete. The Sawtelle dogs they raise are well trained and bred carefully. They are known for their dignified disposition and the instinctive ability to predict their trainer’s command and then act on it. Their reputation is known near and far, and Gar is painstakingly careful about keeping records and interviewing prospective owners before placing one of his Sawtelle pups. One of Edgar’s many tasks is the naming of the new dogs when they are born. Edgar’s faithful companion from his birth is a Sawtelle named Almondine, who is a central character as well. The unconditional love between trainers and dogs is central to the story’s plot. Readers will share in the very real feelings that Edgar has for his dogs, especially Almondine, through the elegant mastery of words that Wroblewski writes. His descriptions of the settings leave you breathless as you can visualize the farm and the barn, the change of seasons, the Chequamegon Forest, and yes, the description of the characters themselves, both humans and dogs.

When Edgar’s peaceful life is disrupted by the “homecoming” of his Uncle Claude, things change quickly. Edgar’s father dies suddenly and what appears to others to be a natural cause of death does not appear to Edgar that way. SAWTELLE is a fitting name in the book as Edgar is almost sure of what he SAW and finds out, but not sure how or if he should TELL his mother or anyone else. The story turns to one of Edgar versus Claude when Edgar tries to prove the role Claude had in his father’s death. Instead, the plan Edgar has does not go well at all, to say the least, and he flees into the forest with three of the dogs he had been training as pups. Edgar’s survival and adventures while away from home are vividly described with such brilliant writing that even the incidents in the story that are supernatural seem to be real and logical.

Some have questioned the ending of the story but I believe if you completely are involved with the characters and the story, you will understand the ending and its implications. This novel that is sure to become a classic should be read carefully and thoroughly. Relish the imagery, the relationships, the settings, and all that go into making David Wroblewski’s THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE one of the finest offerings in a long while.

Submitted by K.H. (Bingo) to curledup.com, ijustfinished.com, barnesandnoble.com

BOOKIN' REVIEWS for KIDS with "Professor" Bingo

BOOKIN' REVIEWS for KIDS will periodically feature reviews of children's books. As a veteran Reading teacher, these are books I have read and reviewed, and you may like for your children!

Here are this week's listings from "Professor" Bingo!

VALENTINE SURPRISE by Corinne Demas

Ages: 4-8

Whether sharing one’s own coming of age life story with adults in ELEVEN STORIES HIGH or charming children with a delightful tale of the holiday season and finding new friends in TWO CHRISTMAS MICE, Corinne Demas never fails to please her readers. With acclaimed artist, R. W. Alley, whose same water color and pencil drawings grace the pages of the Paddington series, these two talents combine to give young readers a lovely story just in time for Valentine’s Day.

When the dedicated artist and loving daughter Lily realizes there is only one week until Valentine’s Day, she wants to make her Mommy a Valentine that will be just perfect. Each day, however, as Lily tries to make that ideal heart, it just doesn’t turn out right. One day it is too skinny and one day too round. From Monday through Sunday, Lily uses all her paper to try one more time for the heart she will be proud to present. Alas, Valentine’s Day arrives and no perfect heart. With a last minute idea, Lily decides to link the hearts together and present them to Mommy apologetically saying “But none of the hearts is perfect” only to have Mommy let her know how perfect they are because the heart that matters is inside Lily!

Lively illustrations and engaging dialogue to show the frantic frustration and inexhaustible love that our little artist Lilly experiences, VALENTINE SURPRISE not only makes a perfect book for the holiday, but will also teaches shapes and days of the week to young readers. Bright colors, kitties, and Lily’s attempts at creating a traditional handmade Valentine all come together for a simply sweet story that will be read and shared many times for years to come!

Submitted by K. H. (Bingo) originally to Curled Up with a Good Book for Children

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The Leanin’ Dog by K. A. Nuzum

Ages 8-12

K. A. Nuzum’s new book, The Leanin’ Dog, tells a first person narrative story about a young girl named Dessa Dean who is eleven years old. The story takes place during the winter in Colorado in the 1930s just before Christmas. Dessa is a lonely child who desperately needs a friend, especially since her mother died. She thinks she will never be happy again. Dessa is trapped. She is a victim of her own mind’s fear, the fear of leaving her home, known as agoraphobia. To make it harder, Dessa doesn’t want her father to know about this fear. He has enough to deal with.

While Father tries to keep things at home going by keeping the wood pile for the stove for food and warmth, he also tries to help Dessa with her school work. Along with that, he tries really hard to kill some animal for their dinner so that Christmas can be special. As father struggles with these things, Dessa still tries to stop what she calls the daymares and tries to keep Father from finding out about them. When Dessa’s ears starts to ache, she knows a period of “losing Mama pain” is beginning. Her ears hurt as her memory takes her back to when her mother died and Dessa’s ears had been frostbitten. She was holding her mother in the snow waiting for someone to find them even though their footprints were blotted away by the snowstorm. That horrible time when her mother died in her arms is something Dessa can’t forget and therefore, she continues to have these nightmares (daymares) and can’t force herself outside the house.

What helps Dessa to deal with the pain and tragedy in her life comes in the form of a canine friend. A stray dog comes into Dessa’s life and gives her someone to love again. The dog is just what she needs--a friend. Here is someone to tell her troubles to and share her secrets with as well as her heart. Dessa finds in the dog a friend who can help her deal with her paralyzing fear of leaving the house. Oddly enough, the dog has a fear as well. He doesn’t like to be closed up in small places. When she finally coaxes him into the house and goes to close the door, he is upset and she realizes she must leave the door partly open as this dog also has a fear of something—a fear of being in small, enclosed spaces known as claustrophobia. In order to ease his fear, the open door adds to Dessa’s problems as it causes the piled up wood to burn quicker and invites marauders to the home.

Slowly, with each friend allowing for the other’s fear to be gently guarded, Dessa begins to find the happiness she has lost and this helps her with her father as well. Together, the three of them help each other to get through the tragedy of losing Dessa’s mother and the joy of the holiday season.

Submitted by K. H. (Bingo) originally to Harper Collins Kids
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I GOT TWO DOGS: BOOK & CD

Written by John Lithgow, Illustrated by Robert Neubecker

Ages: pre-school - 6

This hardcover book and accompanying CD for infants through First Graders will surely entertain the little ones, and find parents singing along with the lilting interpretative reading by famed actor John Lithgow. Fanny and Blue are two great dogs, well loved, even if not well behaved, or very smart. However, as the lively rhythm of the words is read or listened to, youngsters will delight in the story and the rhythm of it all. While Blue is “kind of gray” and Fanny is “all white”, their loyalty and mischievousness is very evident in the story. Fanny and Blue like to chase the cat and make a mess of their owner’s things but find great comfort in cuddling up at night right ON TOP of their master! But one big loving lick makes their master forgive and love Fanny and Blue even more. The pet owner’s devotion to the two animals is one that will teach little ones about what is important about having a pet while also entertaining them. The repetitions of the sounds in the refrain are something that little children will delight in.

Author John Lithgow based the story on his own two dogs and his story is energetic while delightful, rhythmic while comical. Lithgow’s audio is a brilliant, enthusiastic interpretation of the story and is accompanied by a supporting chorus and instruments like the flute that combine to add to the catchy rhythmic tune. The delightful illustrations by Robert Neubecker look hand painted but I believe are digitally rendered and depict the story with broad and colorful strokes. The illustrations will capture every child with the pulsating colors and make this a great read-along book for children. Whether read to, with, or listened to, this is a fantastic book/CD for every child’s collection!

Submitted by K. H. (Bingo) originally to Amazon VINE
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BINGO BLOG BANTER

Creating a new blog is a lot of work but at some point you just have to stop and go back to visiting other blogs, reading, and reviewing. That is what I am doing today. I just visited Cheryl who I have listed on my blog list at http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com and she has a good idea. She gives a teaser/alert of upcoming contests so that people will come back. Hmmm, that gives me a good idea if Cheryl doesn't mind me copying. Thanks Cheryl for the great idea...hope it isn't patented, but before I get it going, ya'll go visit Cheryl!......

OK, now I am back from another blog favorite, one of the icons as far as I am concerned, Book Club Girl. Go visit as she has a great article about Ann Brashares new book out this week, 3 WILLOWS, which is part of the SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS series. I read an advance and loved it. Check it out, Bingo fans!

Now here is something you don't see every day! "Good Books for Bad Times" is a great new post on Publisher Insider which is one of my recommended blogs and one of the first I read when I began this wacky book blog world. The people at HarperOne have started a new blog to help readers in these anxious times. They have a blog now that recommends and reviews good books to read and help and they are by ALL kinds of publishing companies, not just Harper Collins. How giving is that?! Kudos to Harper Collins and for Publisher Insider for letting us know. Check it out at a blog for people to blog about any publisher's books

While you are in and around the world of Harper Collins, give OLIVE READER a look-see. I think it is so clever and I personally love the design (Oh, someday baby Bingo will learn how to do all those cute computer tricks, maybe?). But go see the fun you can have with their post about a fun way to create some personal photographic art based on our soon to be President, Barack Obama. It is great fun so go there and read "make your own obamicon"

Bingo thinks that playing around and passing on some good things must come to an end for today. So BINGO BLOG BANTER will have to stop for now. Don't worry as this will be a weekly, informative, hopefully for you too, feature!

BUT WAIT! How can I leave without reminding you about my pals and mentor at I Just Finished (ijustfinished.com)? Please go by and read their delightful interview with author Brenda Janowitz, who wrote SCOT ON THE ROCKS (How I Survived My Ex-boyfriend's Wedding with My Dignity Ever So Slightly Intact). While you are there you might also want to check out their reviews, especially the ones by Kanellio (AKA BINGO) and their blog----but don't forget to come back here! Have a good evening!

Happy Birthday, Dear Blog!

Here I am on day 3 of my blog and still haven't hurt anyone or given up my daytime job! I realize how much I have to learn and now have even more respect for the people who do this full time! Oh, my! I get to it when I have time, late at night, and early in the morning but I can see how addictive it can become. Why if I wasn't working, I would probably be on here 24/7!

However, some REALLY good things have happened. I have been contacted by some old friends and some new ones. I even heard from a soon to be named famous author who has agreed to an interview! How exciting is that? Well, I do promise that each day will get a bit better so hang in there. Tell your friends, and PLEASE leave comments and criticism (just be gentle).

If I can master what it means when it says "illegal characters" in my URL (I thought it meant the guys who hung out near a local hot spot and didn't look like they belonged there!), when I try so hard to copy and paste some of these cute buttons and things from other sites, you will hear me shout where ever you are!

So off to another evening of trying to get some reading time in, so I can still review, as well as grade papers as it is that time of the school year again!

Take care and thank you ALL for the warm welcomes! Bingo

BINGO'S BOOKIN' REVIEWS

My favorite book is GONE WITH THE WIND. I have my mother's original copy that she bought when it was first published in 1936 and won Margaret Mitchell the Pulitzer Prize in 1937. I have read it over and over and would never part with it. I adore the movie and Clark Gable has been my long time favorite actor forever! As most, we all wanted to know what happened to Scarlett and Rhett. Sequels approved by the Mitchell estate were published-- SCARLETT and then RHETT BUTLER'S PEOPLE. Although the second book was good, it was mostly about Rhett's life from a young lad and spent little time on his relationship with Scarlett. In SCARLETT, I was greatly disappointed with what was done to her.

Katherine Pinotti has written a lovely sequel that satisfies the die hard GWTW fan. However, the book is having trouble being published in America due to copyright laws. The Mitchell foundation won't give it its approval and so the book was only sold in places like Australia because they had let the copyright laws expire there. If you are lucky enough to get a copy from Australia like I did, I hope you enjoy it as I did. It gave me my GWTW "fix" I so needed by satisfying me with happened to the main characters. Katherine Pinotti lives in Texas and hopes the copyright laws will be lifted soon.

THE WINDS OF TARA by Katherine Pinotti

“We call it Tara, after my father’s home in Ireland”. With this joyful proclamation in the first chapter of The Winds of Tara, Scarlett O’Hara Butler returns to her beloved home. In the illusive and much sought after novel by Katherine Pinotti, the essence and spirit of Gone With the Wind is alive and well. Loyal fans who have longed to recapture the fascination and enchantment of the world that is Tara can finally find satisfaction. Ms. Pinotti stays true to the original characters that Margaret Mitchell gifted us with in her masterpiece using a matching approach and overall mood in her new story. As the cover states, “The Saga Lives On”!

Scarlett has left Atlanta and Rhett, following the death of Melanie Wilkes, to seek comfort in the one thing she knows best, at the place she truly calls home, Tara. She hopes to regroup to think about how she will save her marriage and get Rhett back while also being able to spend time with her children Ella and Wade. Scarlett wants to see if she can finally make amends with her sisters, Suellen and Careen. Readers will begin to recall one of Rhett’s favorite lines as they wonder if indeed Scarlett has grown a “real woman’s heart”!

Suellen and her husband, Will Benteen, have taken good care of Tara, along with financial help from the Butlers, while Careen, Scarlett comes to find out, is ill. Careen has had a brief, but sadly broken, romantic relationship with a Yankee soldier, Miles Kantor, and is now hidden away at a convent. Of course, Mammy, Pork, Dilcey and all the other memorable members of the Tara family are there to greet Scarlett when she returns. Unfortunately, we also find that Jonas Wilkerson and his “white trash” wife, Emmy Slattery, are also still around and want a piece of heaven, a piece of Tara.

As Scarlett finds out more about Careen’s mysterious illness, she realizes that she must once again do all she can to save the family name and Tara. First order of business is to take Careen to England for a stay to “improve her health” and hopefully save the family from a highly explosive scandal. With plans on dealing with Wilkerson upon her return, Scarlett is once more found to be just as beautiful, and ambitious, but also sensitive and smart when needed for the sake of her family.

Scarlett returns from England after much tragedy both at home and abroad and once again uses her cunning ways to deal with the repetitive misunderstandings of her relationship with Ashley, her feelings for Belle Watlin and her son Luke, the disaster waiting to happen with Jonas Wilkerson, and most importantly, Rhett. Seeing Rhett in England and again upon return just reinforces Scarlett’s love and determination to get him back. As much as she would like to think about things “another day”, Scarlett is forced to act to protect all that she loves and holds dear and in doing so, endangers her own life as well as those of others.

Katherine Pinotti has taken up where Gone With the Wind left off and weaves a sequel that is believable as well as highly enjoyable. Ms. Pinotti’s book is an exciting read and enjoyable continuation of these much loved characters. The ending keeps you wondering if things will finally conclude the way a Tara fan would want. Here’s to Katherine Pinotti for an emotional and satisfying story that needed to be told and in just this way! It is with great hopes that The Winds of Tara will soon be available all over the world so everyone can experience the journey back to Tara again!

Submitted by K. H. (BINGO) to I Just Finished (ijustfinished.com) as well as curledup.com

BINGO'S BOOKIN REVIEWS

THE WEDNESDAY SISTERS by Meg Clayton

This is a book club’s dream book…and anyone who loves to read and aspires to write. A book of friendship and history, love and misery, success and failure, THE WEDNESDAY SISTERS is a delightful tale for readers young and old. Frankie, the narrator begins to spin the enchanting tale of five women meeting at the playground with their children in the late 1960’s, around the Palo Alto area of California, and tells of their developing a long remarkable bond. This bond will take them though history both nationally and their own. Meeting at a time when women’s lib was on the horizon, these ladies were a long way from burning their bras. As they get to know each other, they realize they share more than just a love of their families, but also they love The Miss America Pageant. This somewhat quirky mutual amusement becomes a staple that the story can be measured by year after year. Each year, as the story progresses, the growth of the characters is exemplified in the way they celebrate, and relate to the changes in the pageant…representative of the changes in America for many but even more so for women.

The Wednesday Sisters, as they name their group, are made up of Frankie, the narrator, Kath, Brett, Linda, and Ally. When these women discover they love books and really like to write, they tentatively begin writing during their playground meeting times. They compare each others work, quite often some being more brutally honest than others. It takes a while for them to realize this is a good thing to have a friend who can be so honest with them, especially about something so special to each of them. The women all seem to know each other so well but slowly secrets in their lives are puzzled over, and then finally revealed to each other. Through their love of books and writing, they are able to get through some of the most painful times of their lives, with the support of their other “sisters”.

While the sisters experience life and grow with the history of the times, living through assassinations, moon walks, and marching for women’s rights, these five women remain friends and are constant support in their writing as well as in each other’s lives. As their story evolves, these extremely relatable characters go through crises of their own….from infidelity and cheating husbands, critical in-laws to cancer, from being unable to bear children to the rejections of their writing. All through it, however, the women are there for each other. Meg Waite Clayton writes a story readers will cherish and want to share with all their good friends. She has written a book lover’s book, a writer’s delight, and a friendship’s friend.

Submitted Originally to Curled Up with a Good Book by K. H.(Bingo) as well as for ijustfinished.com, Amazon.com, and Barnes&Noble.com

BINGO'S BOOKIN' REVIEWS

SING THEM HOME: A Novel by Stephanie Kallos

This is the story of a family, literally torn apart, and trying to find what is left of them years later. Hope Jones is a modern day Dorothy who is literally whisked away by a tornado in 1978 from her beloved town of Emlyn Springs, Nebraska. The difference is this “Dorothy”, Hope, never comes back home. She leaves behind her husband and three children. The story open as the children are grown and we find them called home for their father’s funeral. Their father, also like their mother Hope, is literally struck down by Mother Nature as a bolt of lightening kills him.

Raised by a busy father and their mother’s friend Viney Cross, who also is their father’s mistress all through the years, the grown children return to home to discover things about their mother and father they never knew. Hope had kept a diary and through that, we learn that she had been diagnosed with MS prior to her tragic death. She also suffered several miscarriages before having her children.

So the heart of the story then takes us to see how the children deal with returning to face each other and the realities of life in the small town. Larken is a professor of history and she, as the oldest, tries to find the answer to what happened to her childhood through food. Larken’s being overweight is obviously the result of much deeper issues. Gaelan, Hope’s son, is a weatherman who has filled his life with women and trying to predict the unpredictable. Finally, the youngest child, Bonnie, is an activist who spent her years staying in Emylyn Springs working at odd jobs while looking for clues about who her mother really was. Their coming together has made them all face their tragic childhood and dissect it to see what an important part it played in shaping their lives. Kallos makes the characters real and deep so that the reader cares deeply about each one. Kallos’s wonderful writing enriches the somewhat quirky overall plot. I thoroughly enjoyed this very different but beautifully written novel.

Submitted originally by K.H.(Bingo) to Amazon Vine and ijustfinished.com

A WONDERFUL ARTICLE FROM MY MENTOR, RENEE, at I JUST FINISHED (ijustfinished.com)

"What I know is, is that if you do work that you love, and the work fulfills you, the rest will come." Oprah
Maybe it is lame to quote Oprah, but I'm desperatly hopeful
that she's right. This blog is really to try to deter the premature insanity that was beginning to emerge while I am learning web design, and following my passions. If you have a strong stomach, and good sense of humor, or are one of my friends or family (not optional for that group) please enjoy the ride.
The story starts with post #1, and continues to present day. I will keep you posted (pun intended), with the lasted chapter daily. Also, I will share my reviews of the books I escape with along the way.
Please, read, enjoy, comment, link, or message me. I'd love the feedback, it makes it seem less like I am just talking to myself.

I just finished..The Blog: Here is my contribution to NPR's This I believe....

CONTEST: BINGO'S WIN A BOOK

BINGO'S JACKPOT CONTEST

WIN AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF:

CREEPERS BY JOANNE DAHME

Join in on BOOKIN' with BINGO and win! Write a welcome and introduce yourself to BINGO for her new exciting blog. Winner will be chosen by random draw and notified by email. Contest runs January 9, 2009, through midnight, January 23, 2009. Please leave your email address with your comment so the winner can be notified. Good Luck, thank you, and WELCOME!

Welcome to Bookin' with Bingo

Welcome to the first day of the rest of my Book Bloggin' Life!

I am honored you have visited my blog and hope you will be part of my journey into this new endeavor for a REALLY long time!

Reading has been a passion of mine since I can remember my first books and visits to the library. I keep those memories tucked in a special part of my Book Bloggin' Brain! On Bookin' with Bingo, I hope to have a section for you to share you first memories of books. OK, so the secret is out and if you can't tell, yes, I have been a teacher, mostly of Reading, for more years than one likes to count. But now my life is taking a new turn as I enter the Reading/Writing phase of my life.

As a book buying "addict", I knew it had to stop as I thought it was bad when I would enter my favorite book store, Barnes & Noble, and always come out with purchases, but that was before I discovered I could order books online and have packages waiting for me every day when I got home! It was almost like never spending all that money (until the credit card bill arrived). But as luck would have it, when I neared my retirement from teaching, I discovered a way to get books and feed my other addiction, the love of writing. Yes, there is the great American novel still in the works in my computer as we speak! When I found a way to get free copies of books to read, discuss, and review, I realized I had REALLY found my place of peace on earth!

I have been reading and reviewing for almost the past year and finally realized I would have to take the next step and set up my own blog. I read so many people's blogs and link to others from there, that I thought why not have my own. So, TA DA! BOOKIN' WITH BINGO was born on this ninth day of January, 2009.

I have been fortunate enough to connect with several book review sites, editors, authors, and publishers who seem to like what I do and have been very helpful to me in getting started. Many thanks go out especially to Renee at my #1 review site, I Just Finished (so jealous I didn't get that site name first but it is www.ijustfinished.com) and to Sharon, who really has supported my "habit" and been so accommodating at Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com).

With much excitement today, I welcome you, hope you will bear with me as I learn all about setting up a blog (reader, writer--remember? never claimed to be a computer expert!) and join me at Bookin' with Bingo as often as possible! So for now...LET'S GET BOOKIN'!

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