It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week? This is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being reading, and the books to be finish this week. It was created by J.Kaye’s Book Blog, but is now being hosted by Sheila from One Person’s Journey Through a World of  Books so stop by and join in!

Books Completed Last Week

A Dark Matter by Peter Straub

Currently Reading

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
Running Blind (Jack Reacher, No. 4) by Lee Child (audio)
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Books to Complete This Week

Keeper of Light and Dust by Natasha Mostert
Almost Home by Pam Jenoff
Angel and Apostleby Deborah Noyes

What are you reading this week?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week? is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

Friday P.M.-Not too bad, right?

6:30 AM on Saturday. 20" of snow!

9:30 AM on Saturday and the snow is still falling!

At least the boys are enjoying the snow!

The snow is still falling!  By the time it’s all over, we’re expecting around 30″ of snow!  The local Department of Transportation has indicated that neighborhood streets won’t be cleared for another 36 hrs.  Therefore, the entire J-crew will be spending the entire weekend indoors.  We’ve got a ton of great food planned.  The husband has already cleared a path to the grill, so we’ll be eating well!  I’m hoping to get some reading done!  We’ll see if that happens!

Updated pics:

Saturday, 1:30 PM

Believe it or not, that's my van under there!

Trees are breaking under the weight of the snow. Breaking limbs sound like gunshots.

Snowpocalypse 2.0: Is there an end in sight? is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

SheKnows.com has just announced a brand new book club for women!  “This online book club is designed for women and book lovers who want to read compelling stories, share them with other readers, discuss hot topics, characters and key themes of books, and participate in an ongoing engaging dicussion with active book club members. ”

Guess what!? I’ve been asked, along with a group of other outstanding women, to be an official blogger for SheKnows! I’ll keep you apprised of the books being read and discussed. I encourage you all to join in on the discussion!

One of the best things about this new book club is the reading schedule! A new book is selected every two months which gives everyone ample time to read the book.

The official selection for February/March is: Pieces of Happily Ever After by Irene Zutell!  Enter to win one of ten copies of this book and participate in the discussion!

Stay tuned for more info!

Announcing: SheKnows Book Club for Women is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

One of the things I can’t wait to attend after BEA this year is Book Blogger Con 2010, a one day event intended to provide support, instruction, and social time for people who blog about books. Book Blogger Con will take place May 28, 2010, immediately following BEA. If you have a book blog and you’ll be in NY for BEA, this is the place you’ll need to be!

I remember when I was planning for my trek to BEA 2009.  I had so many questions so I thought I’d come up with a FAQ for first time attendees! My answers obviously reflect my personal opinion So, without further ado!

What is the attire for BEA?

The official attire is business casual.  Last year, I wore dress slacks and a casual top and layered it with a blazer. Comfortable shoes are a must!  Comfort comes before cuteness!  Don’t wear heels or flip flops or anything else that lacks support.  On the flip-side, don’t wear your grungy old running shoes.

Are the books really free?

Yes, the majority of the publishers do provide ARCs to BEA attendees.  Be realistic in what you decide to pick up. Take the time to read the back of the book and see if the book is one that you’d be interested in.  This isn’t a shopping spree, the goal is not to see who can bring home the most books.

There are some publishers that don’t offer free ARCs. Don’t beg for a copy of a book.  Don’t grab it off the shelf while no one is looking.  If you aren’t sure if the ARCs are free for the taking, ask first!

What are five things I should bring with me?

1. Comfortable shoes (explanation above)

2. Business cards: you will be meeting a ton of new people.  You will go through a great deal of business cards, so it would make sense to purchase them from somewhere pretty economical.  My suggestion is vistaprint.com.  You can get a pretty decent number of business cards for under $20.

3. Water/snacks:  you will be doing a lot of walking.  And while there are some (great) cinnamon almond vendors in the Javits Center, you should still bring your own snacks. Your days will be long and you’ll need to keep your energy up!

4. Tote bag: you will need something to carry your books in.  There will be an abundance of tote bags given away but oftentimes these go very fast!  So pack something with plenty of padding on the straps; your shoulders will thank you later!

5.  Patience:  If you plan on participating in any of the author signings, plan on standing in line for a long time.  Your comfortable shoes and water & snacks will really come in handy now.

I think that about covers it!  Don’t forget to sign up for Book Blogger Con! I’d be remiss not to mention that Book Blogger Con is now officially affiliated with BEA 2010!  Register for Book Blogger Con and you’ll be automatically signed up to attend BEA!  One stop shopping, gotta love it!

So, are you attending BEA 2010? I’d be happy to answer any questions!

The Countdown Begins: Book Expo America 2010 & Bloggercon! is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: HCI; Original edition (February 1, 2010)
• ISBN-10: 075731368X
• Source: Publisher

In her debut, Drunk, Divorced & Covered in Cat Hair, Laurie Perry gave people an inside look at her quirky life as a recently divorced woman.  Now in Home Is Where the Wine Is, it’s the beginning of a new year and Laurie is ready to move on with her life.  She comes up with a list of resolutions for the following year:

1. Explore New Paths to Enlightenment
2. Take an Adventurous Trip
3. Knit Something that Isn’t Square
4. Go On a Real, Live Date
5. Grow A Garden.
6. Deal with My Issues
7. Try Something New (and not just new foods)
8. Do some other form of exercise other than knitting.

Each chapter of the book is then broken down into each of her resolutions. Her lessons on life that she uncovers while completing her resolutions are laugh-out-loud funny!

One of Laurie’s resolutions is to exercise. Following is an excerpt of a scene in which Laurie “responds” to a body’s natural “reaction” to yoga:

I laughed the loud, spontaneous way you do without first wondering if it is appropriate to be laughing.  And as soon as I realized that no, it was really NOT ok to these people (who take yoga very seriously) that I was laughing at  a perfectly natural bodily function, I tried to stop laughing, but I couldn’t.  I was too far gone.  I had become that horrible girl who keeps on trying to be quiet in a serious situation but ends up laughing so hard she’s crying, tears streaming down her cheeks and sides hurting from laughing so hard.  I was that awful, disrespectful girl…I was asked to leave the fancy yoga studio.

Several times throughout the book, I actually forgot I was reading a book!  Laurie’s tone is very conversational, like she’s talking to you directly. You get to experience her true feelings, no some second-hand narrative of her life. And, yes, while the book is absolutely hilarious, it’s also good for the soul. Laurie shows us all how to live our lives at their fullest, and how to have a good time while doing so!

We wake up each day and make it as good as it can be by deciding to see our lives as a continuum, not as a goal or a resolution on a piece of paper. Meet a goal and it’s over, on to the next goal!But a life lived for harmony, for balance, for goofiness, for jokes…that is living. It’s the tiny spaces in between the big goals that let me live…It’s so simple.  It’s not the resolutions, the tidy endings.  It’s all the tangles that make up a life.

As a special bonus, the book is full  of recipes (fried zucchini!) and knitting patterns, including:

* Personal Massager Cozy

* Quick Knit Date-Night Bag

* Felted Wine Bottle Cozy

* Wine Glass Flip-Flop Coaster

* Knitted Swiffer Cover

And, in case you haven’t guessed it by now, I highly recommend this book!  I recommend this book for every woman: a young twenty-something just really entering the dating world as well as a forty-something woman having to face the dating world for the first time in over a decade.  Perry’s writing will speak to every woman.

About Laurie Perry

Laurie Perry knits and writes in Los Angeles, California, where she chronicles her daily life on her online diary, Crazy Aunt Purl. She has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, MSN.com, Vogue Knitting, the Boston Herald, and The Palm Beach Post. Perry has written for the Los Angeles Daily News and the Winter Haven News Chief in Winter Haven, Florida. She is the author of Drunk, Divorced & Covered in Cat Hair.

Follow Laurie on Twitter and check out her blog Crazy Aunt Purl.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for giving me the opportunity to participate in this tour!  Please be sure to check out the other tour stops this month:

Monday, February 1st:  She Just Walks Around With It

Tuesday, February 2nd:  Jenn’s Bookshelf

Wednesday, February 3rd:  One Person’s Journey Through a World of Books

Thursday, February 4th:  Diary of an Eccentric

Monday, February 8th:  Knit and Tonic

Tuesday, February 9th:  You’ve GOTTA Read This

Wednesday, February 10th:  A Novel Menagerie

Thursday, February 11th:  Wendy Knits

Tuesday, February 16th:  Luxury Reading

Wednesday, February 17th:  Rundpinne

Thursday, February 18th:  Knitting Knot

Friday, February 19th:  Knit Read Cats Hockey

Monday, February 22nd:  Bookfoolery and Babble

Tuesday, February 23rd:  Booking Mama

Wednesday, February 24th:  Gaysknits…

Thursday, February 25th:  Stumbling Over Chaos

Friday, February 26th:  Tripping Towards Lucidity

On to the giveaway! I have five copies of Home is Where the Wine Is to give away!

This giveaway is open to residents of the US & Canada only.  To be entered, you must complete the form below.  Winner will be announced Monday, February 15th.

Review & Giveaway: Home is Where the Wine Is by Laurie Perry is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week? This is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being reading, and the books to be finish this week. It was created by J.Kaye’s Book Blog, so stop by and join in!

Books Completed Last Week

Blind Panic by Graham Masterton
The Devil in Merrivale by Jackie Griffey
Darkness on the Edge of Town by Brian Keene
Home Is Where the Wine Is: Making the Most of What You’ve Got One Stitch (and Cocktail!) at a Time by Laurie Perry

Currently Reading

Running Blind (Jack Reacher, No. 4) by Lee Child (audio)
A Dark Matter by Peter Straub

Books to Complete This Week

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
The Yellow House by Patricia Falvey
The Girl Who Fell from the Skyby Heidi Durrow

What are you reading this week?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week? is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

Congratulations, Heidi! Your book will be mailed out this weekend.  Please be sure to check out Heidi’s Blog, TBC-The Black Cell.net!

The Winner of Blind Panic by Graham Masterton is.. is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

I was thrilled when I received an email from Brunonia Barry announcing the upcoming release of her new book, The Map of True Places. I read and LOVED her first book, The Lace Reader and can’t wait to read more of her work. According to the email, The Map of True Places is “a story about relationships and family and finding your true place in the world when you have no map to follow.”

The release date is May 4th, but you can download the prologue here.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

While investigating a hostage scene at a local eatery, Sheriff Cas Larkin discovers the body of a local girl.  While investigating her death, he learns about a “club” at the local high school reminiscent of a satanic cult.  At the same time, his police force is investigating several cases of stolen and mutilated livestock. Instead of finding answers to his many questions, more questions regarding the cases pop up.  When the son of a local judge is implicated, it becomes extremely difficult for Cas to get his many questions answered.  He must rush to find the connection between the criminal activities going on in the seemingly quiet town of Merrivale.

The Devil in Merrivale is one of many “cozy mysteries” Griffey has written.  While I didn’t feel a close connection to the main characters, the storyline was full action and intrigue. It was interesting to see how small town politics came into play while the various crimes were being investigated.

Mini-Review: The Devil in Merrivale by Jackie Griffey is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week? This is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being reading, and the books to be finish this week. It was created by J.Kaye’s Book Blog, so stop by and join in!

Books Completed Last Week

Tripwire (Jack Reacher, No. 3) by Lee Child (audio )
Blind Panic by Graham Masterton
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Currently Reading

The Bone Chamber by Robin Burcell
Running Blind (Jack Reacher, No. 4) by Lee Child (audio)

Books to Complete This Week

The Devil in Merrivale by Jackie Griffey
The Girl Next Door by Elizabeth Noble

What are you reading this week?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week? is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.