Monday, January 31, 2011

The Accidental Adult Contest Ends Today at midnight

The Accidental Adult Contest Ends Today

Last day to enter- January's Author in the Spotlight Contest

The author of The Accidental Adult, Colin Sokolowski, is giving away 3 personalized copies to followers of Booksnob who like his facebook page.  This contest is open internationally until January 31st at midnight.  Good Luck!

Click here to enter the contest:  The Accidental Adult Contest
 
Please check out my book review of The Accidental Adult.

The Accidental Adult Book Review

Colin wrote a guest post on the man cold.  Thanks Colin!

Colin Sokolowski Guest Post

This month I also interviewed Colin and if you have a inquiring mind like mine you will want to read the interview of the ultimate accidental adult.

Colin Sokolowski Author Interview 

I hope you all enjoyed meeting Colin and learning about his funny book The Accidental Adult.  I had a great time working with Colin and hosting Accidental Adult month here at Booksnob.  Please visit Colin at his website www.accidentaladult.com and/or his facebook page at www.facebook.com/accidentaladult



Sunday, January 30, 2011

Minn Post Book Club Blast

Minn Post Book Club Blast

Today I attended my second Minn Post Book Club Blast at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis.  The highlights of the day included a meet and mingle where I met several MN authors, Author speed chats and a Keynote Speech by author David Housewright.

I was able to mingle with
Todd Boss author of Yellowrocket
Erin Hart author of False Mermaid
Laurie Hertzel author of News to Me:  Adventures of an Accidental Journalist
John Reimringer author of Vestments
Joe Kimball author of Secrets of the Congdon Mansion
Kate Ledger author of Remedies

I met Janet Kramer who gave me a copy of her new book The Sion Grail to review.  I am excited to read it.

The author speed chats consist of a 20 minute session where the author speaks and answers questions from the audience.  I really wanted to see Jonis Agee author of The River Wife but I was disappointed to learn that she couldn't come because her husband was ill.  So I attended the speed chats of Erin Hart, John Reimringer and Laurie Hertzel.  I have not read any of these authors books and they all sound so good.  Reimringer and Hertzel are nominated for the Minnesota Book Awards in April.  So many books, so little time. 

Saturday, January 29, 2011

My Nest Isn't Empty, It Just Has More Closet Space

My Nest Isn't Empty, It Just Has More Closet Space.  The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Women by Lisa Scottoline

This is a collection of short essays from Lisa Scottoline and her daughter Francesca's weekly column called "Chick Wit".  It is published in The Philadelphia Inquirer and I secretly wished I lived there so I could read the column every week instead of waiting for the book to come out.  Hmmm, I might need to see if I can subscribe to the column online.

This is the first book I have read by Scottoline and even though she is an accomplished crime novelist I had never heard of her.  I was sent a copy to review and am so glad because I really enjoyed this funny, heart warming, crazy book of essays on Lisa's life. 

Lisa is a fifty something woman who has been divorced twice, has one lovely daughter named Francesca, a intriguing mother whom she nicknames Mother Mary and something like FIVE dogs.  Her life is busy and varied (heck she is a successful writer) and she really likes her hair professionally dried with a blow dryer.  Oh and she found her first gray hair on her CHIN!

I love her story of going to the opera by herself at the movie theater (I think I am going to try it as I hear Carmen is coming)   Her tail (I mean tale) of her loving dogs all sleeping on her bed and her perpetually messy house made me feel right at home.  Also enjoyable is the story of her monster 52 inch TV and how much she loves it.  I laughed out loud the day she lost her winter hat and retraced her steps to find it,only to realize that someone pulled over, picked it up and wore it home.  Her beloved 20 year old jester hat gone forever!

OK, I have just talked myself into getting her first set of essays, they have to be just as funny and heart warming as this one.

Grab a glass, fill it with wine or water as I offer up a toast to more closet space (who doesn't need that) some pretty new shoes and a good book.


Friday, January 28, 2011

Colin Sokolowski Author Interview

Colin Sokolowski Author Interview
I would like to introduce you to Colin Sokolowski, Hometown Track Minnesota Author in the Spotlight.  The contest for Colin's book ends Monday, so please enter right away on the contest link located in the right side bar of Booksnob's blog.  It is open internationally for followers who like Colin's Facebook page.  Go to Colin's facebook page at
http://www.facebook.com/accidentaladult

Hi Colin,
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m the guy friends call to answer music trivia questions, not for help hanging Sheetrock.  I also can’t tell the difference between a Chianti or a Cabernet, and I don’t really care.  I live in suburban St. Paul with my tolerant wife and my three acutely verbal children.

2. What is the inspiration behind The Accidental Adult?

Technically I’m an adult, but I’ve always felt adults are those “other people” who tend
to know much more about things I don’t care about. Like credit scores, or their home’s
square footage. This conflict gave me plenty of material to write about.

3. Your book is titled The Accidental Adult, can you tell us what an Accidental Adult is and how you came up with the concept?

An accidental adult is one whose age indicates maturity but whose approach to life often
suggests otherwise. If you’re not one yourself, you’re probably either dating one or
married to one. When I started writing, I was creating a series of personal essays, and that
theme of RELUCTANT GROWNUP came screaming out. So I packaged all my essays
with that accidental adult undercurrent.

4. This is your first book, can you tell us why you decided to become a writer?

When I was in high school, a really cool English teacher gave me permission and support
to find my own true writing voice – even though it was stunted and smart-ass. Once I saw that it was OK to write the way I was thinking, I set a goal to write a book. Only decades
later . . .

5. What is your favorite chapter in your book and why?

Oh they’re all like my children, and I love them equally. Wait, that’s cliché and
pretentious and super untrue. I really like my final chapter “Nostalgia: Checking in with
your inner-child” because I get to make fun of my juvenilia writings from high school.

6. Your book is laugh out loud funny, does humor come naturally to you or do you
have to work on it?

My talent isn’t lighting up a cocktail party with standup material. I’m much more in my
element writing things I hope others find funny. I never set out to write a humor book,
but after a few essays I realized that humor was a huge part of my perspective on life as
an accidental adult.

7. After your book was published did anyone in your family or circle of friends get
mad for being "exposed" in your book. What about your wife? What are some of
the reactions you get?

My neighbors were worried I’d name names, and my college friends wished I had
devoted entire chapters to them. I’ve known my wife Kelly for 21 years, and after she
read the entire book she said, “Guys really think like that? You really think like that?”
She was my first editor, and hearing her laugh at my drafts was all the validation I
needed. Well, that and a publishing contract.

8. This book imparts many lessons. What are the main lessons you want Accidental and Intentional Adults to take from your book?

Lighten up! Acting your age doesn’t have to mean losing your cool.

9. Are you writing a second book? If so, can you give us a preview of what it is about?

No plans for second book right now, but I am working to partner with major media outlets as a regular contributor or humor columnist. The topic is the same – how to navigate life among the grownups.

10. Do you like to read? What are some of your favorite books or authors?

I mostly read nonfiction, and I loved Dan Zevin’s “The Day I Turned Uncool,” Rob Sheffield’s “Talking to Girls About Duran Duran” and The Phat Phree’s “Look at My Striped Shirt!” For fiction it’s Tom Perrotta all the way.

11. Is your book written mainly for men or will it appeal to women as well?

Funny thing – it definitely has a guy’s voice and is often directed at the male reader age
25 – 40. But as it turns out, I’m hearing from more women than men who are reading it
and resonating with it. They also tell me, “My husband doesn’t read much, but when he
does, this is exactly the kind of book he’d love.” I also think women enjoy getting inside
a guy’s brain to see why so many of us are like this.

12. Tell us in one sentence why we should read your book, The Accidental Adult?

In a world filled with super-serious adults, accidental adults like me need the company.

Friday Follow

Hi Everyone, Welcome to Booksnob!  TGIF!  The question this week is what was your favorite subject in school?  Well, when I was young I hated school especially reading but when I got to high school, I loved my health and psychology classes.  Currently I am a high school social studies teacher and I teach World History and AP Geography.  Most days I love my job and now have to say Social Studies is my absolute favorite subject and I love to read!!

Drop me a note with your blog address and I would be happy to return the follow.  Please check out my January contest for a very funny book called The Accidental Adult.

Have a great weekend and happy hopping.




Thursday, January 27, 2011

The Accidental Adult

The Accidental Adult by Colin Sokolowski

The Accidental Adult is humorous book that will change your perceptions of adulthood.   The definition of an Accidental Adult is an individual whose age indicates maturity but whose approach to life suggests otherwise (pg. 2). The exact opposite is an intentional or assimilated adult which is defined as one who embraces the responsibilities of adulthood without fearing the inevitable loss of a joyous, youthful soul (pg. 3).

The Accidental Adult book is 12 chapters long and is perfect for reading one chapter a day so those posing as adults can actually finish the book in a little under two weeks.  The book covers such topics as work, music, athletics, parenting and transportation.  It is laugh out loud funny with humorous quotes, a survival guide and advice on how to remain under the radar of intentional adults. 

As a forty something hot mama, well that is my accidental adult persona talking, I really related to a lot of the book but then I realized that man I am in serious trouble because not only am I an accidental adult but I married one and we are trying to maintain a home, raise two children and both work full time.  At least my husband will read directions when putting something together as I will wing it and still be putting dohickey, thingamajobbers together hours later.  We all have our talents I guess.

Do you ever wake up and wonder how you got to where you are in your life?  Was it accidental, hard work or a little bit of both?  Do you think you may be an Accidental Adult?  You can take the quiz at www.accidentaladult.com/quiz

I get the impression that mainly men are accidental adults but I know there are book loving women out there who would rather drive a motorcycle than a station wagon, ones who prefer to read a book, than do yard work, or ones who were picked last for every sports team in gym and could care less that the Green Bay Packers are in the Superbowl.   If this is the case, you need to read this book for the simple reason that you will laugh out loud and be able to hide out in the bathroom for twenty minutes reading a chapter while your kids are screaming and yelling in the other room that so and so took the remote and won't give it back.  You need this book!



Sunday, January 23, 2011

Author Colin Sokolowski Guest Post

Guest Post by Hometown Track Author in the Spotlight Colin Sokolowski.  If you have are in need of a laugh or are sick with a winter cold.  You need to read this.


Man cold
A guest post by The Accidental Adult author, Colin Sokolowski

Heart racing . . . eyes watering . . . body aching . . . Typically this means I’m watching Jennifer Love Hewitt in a Lifetime Channel movie. But not this time.
I have a man cold.
You probably won’t find “man cold” diagnosed on WebMD, so allow me to explain exactly what this means and how it differs from other associated illnesses.
Man Cold: A debilitating illness exclusively targeting accidental adult males, often accompanied by incessant complaining and the inability to perform routine tasks like emptying the dishwasher or putting clothes in the hamper. (What I have.)
Monster Cold: A man cold with symptoms multiplied by 1,000. (What I fear I’m getting.)
Common Cold: A mild, temporary irritant. (What women get.)
At the first sign of a sniffle last week, I knew what was coming . . . a grave illness that requires the typical man cold response.
* Use of alcohol to dull symptoms.
* Sympathy phone call to Mom. (She enjoys worrying about her children, so really this was a favor.)
* Lame attempts to use new Barry White vocal range to seduce wife.
* Refusal to seek professional medical treatment unless on deathbed.
* Sleep, television, complaining and more television.
But what worries me most about my condition is that I’ve lost days from work. I had no choice. I really couldn’t subject my office mate to eight hours of wheezing, sneezing and hacking my poisons into our confined area. (Which reminds me . . . I need to call HR and see if they can dock her two sick days instead of me, since my absenteeism was in consideration of her.) I also couldn’t bear going to work only to hear my work wife tell me, “Wow, you look really awful.” I can get that brutal honesty at home from my real wife, who conveniently claims to have the common cold this week as well. (Kelly loves to upstage.)
All of this suggests my man cold may indeed be morphing into monster cold status. The evidence appears on my bedside table: Mucinex, Flonase nasal spray, Tylenol, tube of Carmex, Kleenex box . . . all lined up next to a greasy-haired, red-eyed snoring guy who won’t get out of bed before noon. Attractive imagery, I know. It’s a good thing I’m married and no longer have to worry about my appearance.
Despite this illness escalation, I’m ready to do battle, accidental adult style. I’m determined to conquer my cold using the most effective therapeutical treatment I have in my arsenal.
“Kelly, throw me the remote control. I need to find me some Love on Lifetime. STAT!”

____________
Colin Sokolowski is the author of the new humor book, The Accidental Adult: Essays and advice for the reluctantly responsible and marginally mature. Read more at www.accidentaladult.com, or follow him at www.facebook.com/accidentaladult.

If you are interested in winning a copy of Colin's book please click on the January Contest!


Monday, January 17, 2011

Busy Grading Papers!

Busy Grading Papers! 

I wish this was the title of a book I was reviewing this week but instead it is a fact of my life that I have been busy grading papers and that is why I have been MIA from my blog this week.  I am also recovering from an assault in my classroom where a student and I incurred injuries.  I think I have a bit of depression and post traumatic stress going on but am starting to get back to normal. (Now that I think about it, that is probably the main reason I was MIA last week) To top it off we are having computer problems as well.  I guess when it rains it pours.  My semester grades are due in one week and when I am able to remove myself from the pile of papers I am buried in, I will be reviewing several books I have finished.  Wish me luck and lots of patience.  Good Day to you all!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Pass it Forward Giveaway

Hey Everyone, I am going to participate in Beck's Book Picks meme Pass it Forward.  Basically the idea is to pass one of your books onto someone who will read it and then pass it forward to someone and so on.

I have chosen to give away my much loved and used copy of gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson.  I originally bought this book at my church book sale for like 50 cents and then chose it for my book club pick and passed it on to my mother-in-law and sister.  I hope whoever wins will love it as much as we have.

Here is a link to my review:  gods in Alabama
I wrote a mini country song for the book but you must supply the tune.

Rules:
Be a follower of Booksnob
Open Internationally
Contest ends midnight on January 17th.
Fill out the form:


Friday, January 7, 2011

The Accidental Adult Contest

Hometown Track Author in the Spotlight, Colin Sokolowski has agreed to give away 3 personalized copies of his hilarious book, The Accidental Adult to BookSnob followers who like him on Facebook or leave a comment under his post:  "January is Accidental Adult month at BookSnob!"

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
Accidental Adult (n.): an individual whose age indicates maturity, but whose actions indicate otherwise.Those carefree days of post-college life went away in the blink of an eye. Now you spend your money on mortgage payments and Saturdays at dance recitals. The mixtapes you blasted out of your two-door coupe went the same way as the car, traded in--for a sliding-door minivan with a complimentary Wiggles CD.
If life's the ultimate road trip, it's time to stop listening to the GPS of responsible adulthood. Instead, follow the lead of reluctant grown-up Colin Sokolowski, who proves growing up doesn't necessarily mean selling out. With a little guidance, you can survive the inevitable trek to old age as an accidental adult and have some fun along the way.
Part how-to advice and part how-not-to narrative, The Accidental Adult leads you along an alternate path through adulthood. You'll learn there's a time and a place to act your age (ditch the Coors Light during dinner parties), but that you don't have to lose your sense of cool (it's okay to buy those $250 reunion tour tickets--as long as your car payment's in). With it, you'll realize that just because you're older doesn't mean you have to be lamer.


Here are the rules for the contest:
1.  You must be a follower of BookSnob
2.  Colin wants you to follow him on Facebook
(www.facebook.com/accidentaladult) and "LIKE" or leave a comment under his post, "January is Accidental Adult month at BookSnob!"
3.  Fill out the form below:

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Reading Review and 2011 challenges

2010 Year in Review:
I started blogging in February of 2010 and haven't looked back.  Blogging has been a wonderful experience and has increased my knowledge of books, authors and the world wide web ten fold.  Last year I read 70 books and wrote 178 blog posts.  I participated in reading challenges, read-a-longs, and read-a-thons.  I really love read-a-longs and read-a-thons and hope to participate in many more although being a teacher it is hard to balance all that grading time when I would rather be reading.   I hosted my first Read-a-Thon in June where I tackled Moby Dick, I held contests and met lots of great authors and publicists.  I can't wait to see what new experiences are awaiting me in 2011.

2010 Challenges Completed.
I participated in the Graphic Novel Challenge and completed the intermediate level reading 4 graphic novels.
I participated in Young Adult Novel Challenge and read 20 young adult titles last year.  I am very  pleased with both challenges and plan to continue them this year and hope to increase my totals.

2011 Challenges
Graphic Novel Challenge:  I plan to complete the intermediate level
again this year and hope to increase the number of graphic novels read from 4 to at least 5.

YA Reading Challenge:  I plan to complete the Fun size level which is the same as last year reading 20 Young Adult Novels.  If you haven't read any YA lately you ought to give it a try and a lot of the novels are well written and deal with issues our youth confront everyday.

Historical Fiction Challenge:

This is the first time I am participating in this challenge and I pretty excited.  I love historical fiction, in fact historical fiction is my true love type of books.  Did you know I am a history teacher?  I am going to try and read 10-15 historical fiction books this year and succeed in reading the Struggling with Addiction level.

So there you have it.  I expect great things in 2011.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Peter Geye Author Interview

Interview with Safe from the Sea author, Peter Geye 
Readers, I am proud to introduce to you a new author from Minnesota.  Peter is a graduate of South High School, where I currently teach and I am so happy to feature him today on my blog.  Read on!


  1. Tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m a Minneapolis boy through and through. My family lived on the northside. I’m second oldest in a brood of five kids and we were (and remain) a tight bunch. My brother and I were ski jumpers. We learned at Theodore Wirth Park under the watchful eye of Selmer Swanson. I started when I was six or seven, my younger brother when he was five. I mention ski jumping because for most of my life it’s the thing I’ve most associated myself as, a ski jumper, that is. This is true even though I took my last jump in March of 1989, in Ely, Minnesota. My oldest son is five years old, and we’re trying to talk him into giving it a try. I’ve three kids, ages five, three and one. If it sounds like a handful, there’s a good reason for that. I stay at home with the kids. My wife of thirteen years works for a bank in downtown Minneapolis. We still live here, though we’re southsiders now.

  1. What is the inspiration behind the story “Safe from the Sea”
I wanted to write a book that was cerebral even as it was action packed. I wanted to write about a place that I love, with characters that would be as interesting to create as they’d someday be to read. I started with a very blank slate, without any idea of what the story would be about or who the characters were. Both the story and characters came into focus pretty quickly once I started sketching them out.

  1. Your book is set along the North shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota.  Why did you choose this location as the setting for your novel?
The only thing I was certain of the day I first put pen to paper was where the book would take place. I have a sort of prevailing image I carry around of the North Shore. It’s the birch forest just west of Lutsen, in winter, seen from the road, as I’m driving along. I started there. Just put a man in a car and began describing what I see in my mind. It wasn’t long before everything started taking shape from that simple place, from that very vague beginning.

  1. One of the main characters, Olaf, is in a shipwreck on Lake Superior.  Is this based on an actual shipwreck or is it truly fictional?
This is the question I’m asked more than any other, and I think that’s because for so many people the true maritime history of the Great Lakes holds such great sway over their imaginations. I’d be the biggest fake in the world if I didn’t admit to being influenced by the true history, but the wreck of the ore boat in Safe from the Sea is completely fictional. I made the whole story up, from the boat to the men to the storm that dooms them, it’s all fiction.

  1. When I was younger I had a huge fascination with the ships coming and going out of the Duluth harbor.  I wanted to sail away on one as soon as I could.  What about you?  Did you visit Duluth Harbor as a child?
I’m very much the same way. One of my earliest memories of awe is seeing my first freighter entering Duluth harbor. I can’t say how old I was, but I was young enough to be spellbound by the size of it, by the very notion of such a big hunk of steel floating around on a lake that I could likewise not understand. It’s an idea that sneaks into my book, from the point of view of the protagonist. He’s back in Duluth for the first time in years and he watches a salty heading through the canal and he’s still awestruck, even though he’s a man well into middle age. I’m the same way; they get me every time. Every boat I see makes me feel like a kid again.

  1. Are you interested in shipwrecks and do you think shipwrecks on Lake Superior are a thing of the past?  What shipwreck are you the most interested in?
I became a junkie as I researched Safe from the Sea, to the point that my wife would tease me about being a boat nerd. Part of that was because I needed an education, but another part of it, perhaps the larger part, was because the maritime history of the Great Lakes is so fascinating. The tragedies are Shakespearian, the tales of survival epic. I’d be hard pressed to think of another topic that lends itself so well to the art of the novel. War, maybe. The family drama. But aside from that, what?

The wreck that stands out most in my mind is the 1905 foundering of the Mataafa. It’s not one of the more famous wrecks, probably because of how time obscures the distant past, but to me it’s endlessly interesting. What sets this story apart from so many of the other Lake Superior shipping tragedies is that the whole drama unfolded in plain sight of the city of Duluth. What happened is, this boat set out against terrific seas. They no sooner got into the open water outside Duluth harbor than they tried to come about and reenter the harbor. The problem was that the lake was so punishing, they couldn’t return, and were hung up on the rocks only a couple hundred yards offshore. These colossal seas spent all night busting the boat in half, while ten thousand people stood onshore burning bonfires and watching the helpless boat. The seas were so bad the coast guard couldn’t even launch a rescue. By the time morning comes and they’re finally able to make a rescue attempt, they find half of the crew frozen to death. Just like that.

I believe the lake is still capable of having its way. No doubt that since the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald the safety standards have improved, but I’ve stood on the shore of Lake Superior in Duluth harbor and watched waves crash over the breakwater lighthouses. I imagine as long as there’s a shipping industry there’s a chance for large-scale tragedy.
 
  1. Usually an author puts some of his own life experiences in the book.  Did you do that?  Do you have anything in common with your characters?
In a sense the whole book is culled from my life experiences. That is to say, my fears and emotional sensibilities, my sense of duty and the love I have for my wife and my father. But that’s abstract, I suppose.

But there are parts of the plotlines that come from my own experience. I was a ski jumper, as I mentioned, and ski jumping plays a part in the book. There’s also a storyline that involves the foibles of Noah’s and his wife Natalie’s infertility. My wife and I struggled for many years to have kids before it finally worked out, and many of the moments between Noah and Natalie were inspired by our tribulations. But that’s more or less it.

  1. This is your first book.  Can you tell us why you decided to become a writer?
This is a one-word answer: Hemingway. I was in my junior year of high school and we read A Farewell to Arms. It was the first book I had ever read with the sort of concentration and imagination that allowed the story to come alive in me. It was a transformative experience, one that demonstrated the power of stories. I finished the novel and literally said to myself, I want to do that, to write stories that have that sort of power. So that’s how I decided to become a writer. I’m still working on the part where I write as powerfully as Hemingway.

  1. What books influenced your writing of Safe from the Sea?
I try not to be directly influenced by what I’m reading, but a couple of books that I read early on while writing Safe from the Sea were Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing and William Gay’s The Long Home. They’re about as different as books can be, but they both made me want to write better.

  1. Are you working on a second book?  If so, can you tell us a little bit about it?
I’m revisiting the same geography in the book I’m working on now, but it’s wholly different, both in subject and in temperament. It’s the story of a young woman who arrives in Northern Minnesota from a small farm in the Norwegian Lapland, expecting to be greeted by her mother’s sister. It turns out there’s no one to greet her, and so begins the story of her life. It begins in the late 1890s and spans about thirty years and two generations. I’m excited about it. I like it.

  1. Safe from the Sea imparts many lessons.  What is the main lesson you hope your readers will take away from the book?
Don’t underestimate the bonds of love and family, and have a place in your heart for forgiveness.

  1. Tell us in one sentence why we should read Safe from the Sea?
You should read Safe from the Sea because a more heartfelt book was never written; I love those characters like my own family.


Thank you Peter for answering these questions.  If you want to read my review of Safe from the Sea click here:  Safe From the Sea Review



Sunday, January 2, 2011

Best Book List for 2010

Best Book List for 2010

Every year I create a list of the best books that people have read over the past year.  I am asking YOU, my literary friends for their top choices in the adult and young adult categories.  I will leave the form up for about two weeks and then compile a list and publish in a format that is easy to copy and take with you to the store or just to keep and check off the ones you have read.

To see last year's list click:  Best Book List for 2009


Here are my choices for 2010:
Young Adult Category:  Crank by Ellen Hopkins.  (I loved all three of the books in this series)

Honorable Mention Young Adult Category:  Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher 

Adult Category:  I have it narrowed down to four and it is so hard to choose but I think I am going to pick
 The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff.  

Honorable Mentions Adult Category:  Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross
                                 The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
                                                          Safe from the Sea by Peter Geye

I have linked each title including my honorable mentions to my review of the book. 

Your turn.  What are the best books you read in 2010?



Saturday, January 1, 2011

Hometown Track- MN Author Spotlight #6

Hometown Track- MN Author Spotlight #6

Happy New Year!  Today I am happily announcing the Hometown Track MN Author in the Spotlight.

Drum roll please.....January is Accidental Adult month!

January is a great month to meet Colin Sokolowski author of The Accidental Adult.  This book is shelved in the Humor section and I know many of us are in need of a laugh especially with 3 months of winter left.

Things to look forward to this month in the Hometown Track: a contest, a book review, an author interview and a guest post by Colin.  So stay tuned for some fun in the winter sun.