Tuesday, November 15, 2011

FAMILIES AND OTHER NONRETURNABLE GIFTS: A PREVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
FAMILIES AND OTHER 
NONRETURNABLE GIFTS
BY CLAIRE LAZEBNIK

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Despite her name, Keats Sedlak is the sanest person in her large, nutty family of brilliant eccentrics. Her parents, both brainy academics, are barely capable of looking after themselves, let alone anyone else, and her two uber-intelligent siblings live on their own planets.

At least she can count on one person in her life, her devoted boyfriend Tom. Down-to-earth and loving, he's the one thing that's kept Keats grounded for the last decade. But when Keats's mother makes a surprise announcement, the entire family is sent into a tailspin. For the first time, Keats can't pick up the pieces by herself. Now she must reevaluate everything she's ever assumed about herself and her family-and make the biggest decision of her life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
I grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, the youngest of five kids, and went to college about twenty minutes away from home. One of my sisters and my brother were both already enrolled at the same school, so it wasn't exactly a leap into the unknown--neither was my subsequent move to New York, since two of my sisters and my brother lived there by then. But when I moved to Los Angeles in the mid eighties, I was finally mapping out some new territory (although my sister Nell joined me seconds later). I thought eventually I'd move back to the east coast. Turns out I was wrong.

Now I live in the Pacific Palisades (a city in Los Angeles, not far from the ocean) and my four kids are growing up true Californians: they wear tank tops and flip-flops and don't even know what a "snow day" is. My husband writes for TV which doesn't impress people all that much until I mention that he worked on "The Simpsons" for a year and a half and then people get really impressed. Especially teenaged type people.

When I was a kid, I wanted people to think I was really smart, so I read the most impressive writers I could get my hands on, like DH Lawrence and Virginia Woolf. No one was going to catch me with a child's book in my hand. In college, I majored in English Literature and read all the traditional Brits, like Austen, Bronte, James, and Eliot. Charles Dickens was the best, though: here was a guy who not only knew how to entertain and wrote totally absorbing page-turners, but who also made you feel like you wanted to be a better person by the time you finished any of his books. I love Dickens-not his most famous books, though, but the weirder, more modern ones like Our Mutual Friend and Bleak House. 

I doubt my night table reading pile would impress anyone these days-now it's all about keeping myself entertained enough to make it to the end of a book, no easy task for someone like me who has no attention span. Ironically, I now prefer kids' books to most adult ones (I like to read what my kids are reading, if it's good)-JK Rawling, obviously, but also Suzanne Collins, Nancy Farmer, Louis Sachar, and Jeanne Duprau, among others. But my true mainstay is fantasy. The best fantasy writers are closer to the tradition of the great Victorians than most modern "literary" writers, as far as I'm concerned. My current favorites are Robin Hobb, George RR Martin, Tanith Lee, and Neil Gaiman.

Two of the funniest people I know have written, collectively, several of the funniest books I've read, so check out Cathryn Michon and Bruce Cameron. You'll laugh a lot, but you'll also keep thinking, "Hey, that's kind of really true." Cathryn writes a blog for ivillage.com and somehow manages to convey something fresh and interesting in every entry.

Best book of all time that doesn't have a romance and was written by someone who's still alive? Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. If you haven't read it, you should, even if you wouldn't normally touch something that falls under the sci-fi category. But don't read any of the other Ender books. Only Ender's Game-it's perfect.
GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO MY GOOD FRIENDS AT THE
HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, I HAVE ONE COPY OF
FAMILIES AND OTHER NONRETURNABLE GIFTS 
TO GIVE AWAY TO ONE LUCKY READER
 
--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: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT FAMILIES AND OTHER NONRETURNABLE GIFTS  THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING ABOUT AUTHOR CLAIRE LAZEBNIK FROM HER WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE OTHER CURRENT GIVEAWAY YOU HAVE ENTERED ON MY BLOG. IF YOU HAVE ENTERED MORE THAN ONE GIVEAWAY, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY ON EACH TO RECEIVE EXTRA ENTRIES
GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST,DECEMBER 1
GOOD LUCK

179 comments:

debbie said...

I would love to see what the mother does to turn the family upside down. This sounds like a book that I would really enjoy reading.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

debbie said...

I entered shoe done it giveaway.
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debbie said...

I entered now eat this giveaway.
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debbie said...

I entered the digital photography.
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holdenj said...

I always like Claire's stories and the way she sets up the family dynamics so differently in every book.
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holdenj said...

I enjoyed read some of Claire's posts. I think I'm glad there was not facebook when I was in college either!
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Karen B said...

"...large, nutty family of brilliant eccentrics..." I can't resist wanting to read about this family!
kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

traveler said...

A unique book would I would enjoy. Many thanks. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

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traveler said...

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traveler said...

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traveler said...

The author has a special way of writing and it is appealing. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I entered The next Always. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

Suburban prep said...

I love to see family dynamics.
I come from a rather large family myself.
msgb245 at gmail dot com

Suburban prep said...

She has written three novels.

petite said...

An interesting book. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

I entered Shoe Done It. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

I entered Now Eat this. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

I entered Zero Day. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

I entered The Next Always. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

Claire can write entertaining and lovely books. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

Literary Chanteuse said...

I'm sold right by the title. I love it! I've been hoping to get this book for a while.

Margaret
singitm@hotmail.com

Literary Chanteuse said...

I love the Winnie the Pooh and Piglet trick or treators. So cute!

Margaret
singitm@hotmail.com

Literary Chanteuse said...

I've also entered the Marriage Plot giveaway.

Margaret
singitm@hotmail.com

Literary Chanteuse said...

I've also entered the Ellen book giveaway.

Margaret
singitm@hotmail.com

Carol N Wong said...

I love funny and I love quirky and the main character's family sounds so quirky. I am very sure that I would love this book.'

CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Carol N Wong said...

On her site, I was very interested in the article, "Overcoming autism'. The author has a child who was nonverbal until 2 1/2 and says that the program described in the book is labor intensive. I can agree with that. Any kind of program dealing with autism is very demanding.

CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Carol N Wong said...

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ann said...

Curious to find out what happens at the end and what is it that the mother tells them .


amhengst at verizon dot net

ann said...

her husband writes for TV and did for the Simpsons for awhile.
she lives near the beach

amhengst at verizon dot net

ann said...

1. NOVEMBER FB BONUS +5 entry

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ann said...

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ann said...

5. NOVEMBER FB BONUS +5 entry

amhengst
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ann said...

I entered shoe done it giveaway.


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ann said...

I entered Seriously, I'm Kidding.

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ann said...

I entered Dangerous Alterations


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ann said...

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ann said...

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ann said...

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ann said...

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ann said...

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ann said...

I entered Death by the Dozen


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rubynreba said...

Looks like a fun family to read about!
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

rubynreba said...

Entered Yummy giveaway
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rubynreba said...

Entered City of Whispers giveaway
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Regal Literacy
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lag123 said...

I want to see what Keats' Mother's announcement is!

lag110 at mchsi dot com

lag123 said...

Tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/lag32583/status/136760008166752257

lag110 at mchsi dot com

lag123 said...

I discovered that Claire does not like sad books.

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lag123 said...

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I entered the Yummy giveaway.

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I entered the SACRED SINS GIVEAWAY

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Anonymous said...

Wondering what the Mothers announcement is that sets the family in a tail spin

pattifritz2000 at yahoo dot com
thanks

rubynreba said...

Entered Death on a Platter giveaway
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holdenj said...

I entered Bring Me Home for Christmas.
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Linda Kish said...

I'd like to know the surprise announcement. I love the book title.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

I enjoyed reading her posts, especially A Story with No Moral.

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Linda Kish said...

+5 November facebook
1
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Entered NOW EAT THIS

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mamabunny13 said...

Sounds like a good read.
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mamabunny13 said...
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mamabunny13 said...

I entered Seriously, I'm Kidding.

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I entered Digital Photography
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I entered Cake Boss
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entered AGAINST THE STORM
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entered THE MARRIAGE PLOT
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entered DEATH ON A PLATTER
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entered BRING ME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
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rubynreba said...

Entered Murder of a Creped Suzette
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Regal Literary
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I entered Kill Alex Cross
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Jeryl M. said...

I would like to read about Keats and her nutty family.

jeryl.marcus@gmail.com

holdenj said...

I entered Fern Michaels Part Two.
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Jolee said...

You had me at the title. Boy, can I relate, especially during this holiday season. ;-) joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

Jolee said...

learned about her nonfiction book on autism from her site. very interesting! joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

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entered Nicholas Sparks giveaway joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

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