Book Review – How to Take the GRRRR Out of Anger

Posted on April 28, 2009 by Bobbie Crawford-McCoy

How to Take the GRRRR Out of Anger
Written By: Elizabeth Verdick & Marjorie Lisovskis
Illustrated By: Mike Gordon
Published By: Free Spirit Publishing, 2003, First Edition, 120 pages, paperback
ISBN 978-1575421179

Product Description – From Amazon.com
“Anger is a part of life. We can’t avoid it, we shouldn’t stuff it, and we can’t make it go away. Kids need help learning how to manage their anger. This book speaks directly to kids and offers strategies they can start using immediately. Blending tips and ideas with jokes and funny cartoons, it guides kids to understand that anger is normal and can be expressed in many ways—some healthy, some not. It teaches them how to recognize anger in themselves and others, how to deal with situations and emotions (loneliness, guilt, frustration, fear) that lead to or mask anger, and how to deal with the anger they feel. Young readers learn that violence is not acceptable and there are better, safer ways to resolve conflicts. They also discover what to do when people around them are angry, how to get help, and how to locate other resources (books, hotlines, school groups) when they need more support.”

How to Take the GRRRR Out of Anger is an invaluable resource for parents, grandparents, teachers, childcare providers, etc. I have a son who is almost 11 and he has moments when he gets really angry but doesn’t seem to be able to express himself properly; after reading this book and talking about it with me, he is able to control his anger to a better extent and feels calmer. This book has done a wonderful job; bringing together many useful, tried and true anger management techniques and some new ones as well. For children and pre-teens who need to learn new ways of accepting and managing their anger, this is a ‘must –read’; it is written at their reading level so it should be easily understood. With artistic, expressive illustrations, the reader will be encouraged to continue onward through the pages, if only to see more of the amusing pictures. This book would work best with children and pre-teens who are not in a continual, full-blown anger/rage cycle and this book would be a brilliant preventative tool and it is an incredible resource that should be introduced to children when they reach 8-9 years of age; a book that should be in every home and classroom. Children are growing up a lot faster nowadays then they did in my time and they really need healthy, innovative coping mechanisms and ideas that work; this book is just the answer that we’ve been waiting for! Included at the back is an index and several pages of resources for kids, parents and teachers.
How to Take the GRRRR Out of Anger is the recipient of the National Parenting Publication’s (NAPPA) 2003 Gold Award in the ages 9 and up category and the Children’s Resources Honors Award.
I would recommend this book for children and pre-teen’s 9-12 years of age.

Links to Information about the Authors:
http://www.freespirit.com/catalog/author_detail.cfm?AUTHOR_ID=39
http://www.freespirit.com/catalog/author_detail.cfm?AUTHOR_ID=104
Link to the Publisher’s Website:
http://www.freespirit.com/

A special thanks to Free Spirit Publishing for sending me a copy to review.

Book Review – Too Tall Alice

Posted on April 27, 2009 by Bobbie Crawford-McCoy

Too Tall Alice
Written By: Barbara Worton
Illustrated By: Dom Rodi
Published By: Great Little Books LLC Books, 2009, First Edition, 32 pages, hardcover
ISBN 978-0979066115

Product Description- From Great Little Books LLC.com
“Alice is tall. Not T-Rex or Empire State Building tall. Just four inches taller than the other girls in her class, and Alice is worried. FOUR INCHES! That’s a lot of inches taller than everyone else. Her mom says it’s okay to be tall, and her dad says it’s okay to be tall. IT’S OKAY FOR THEM TO SAY THAT. THEY’RE NORMAL! Alice wishes, really wishes, she was just like everyone else. Then, her dream takes her to the place where the tall girls live, and she sees, really sees, herself for the first time.”

Too Tall Alice is a really cute book with a really great message. This story will help young girls understand that being tall and very slim is natural and perfectly okay. The text is very large and easy to read. By the end of the book, Alice understands that her extra height and slim build could even be assets when she grows up. This story is a fun way of teaching girls that they are fine just the way they are (tall and slim) without them understanding they are being taught something; some children like to come to these conclusion by themselves.
The illustrations are very cute for the most part and they are all are very bright and colourful; Alice is absolutely adorable! I did not particularly care for the other “people” drawn in the book; they didn’t meet the same technical and creative standard as the rest of illustrations.
I would recommend this book for tall, slim girls 7-10 years of age.

Link to the Publisher’s Website:
http://www.greatlittlebooksllc.com/

A special thanks to Bostick Communications for sending me a copy.

Some Tudor History…

Posted on April 24, 2009 by Bobbie Crawford-McCoy

Thanks to Philippa Gregory’s books and the film adaptation of her novel The Other Boleyn Girl, I have become a huge fan of the Tudors and the era in which they lived. I have written reviews for 5 of Philippa’s books and I recommend that you read her work; it’s historical fiction and the Tudors at their best! To read my reviews of her work please click on the title: The Other Boleyn Girl, The Queen’s Fool, The Virgin’s Lover, The Boleyn Inheritance and The Other Queen. There is one more book in this series that I haven’t had the pleasure of reading them yet; The Constant Princess.

Who were the Tudors?

The Royal Tudors family tree traces the rise and the fall of the Plantagenet dynasty and the start of the Tudors dynasty with Owen Tudor. The Tudor family tree ends with Elizabeth I. Queen Elizabeth I died childless, thus ending the famous dynasty of the Tudors, and she was succeeded by King James I (1603–1625) and the dynasty of the Stuarts. Who did the Tudors marry? The six wives of Henry VIII immediately spring to mind. Who were the children of the Tudors? And who were the close relatives of the Tudors? Full details of the Tudors and their family tree is available in this section. King Richard III was defeated by Henry Tudor at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 which started the House of Tudor. It is interesting to note that Edmund Tudor married Margaret Beaufort who was a descendent of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford.

The dynasty of the Tudors was symbolised by the Tudor Rose which was the emblem of the Tudors and represented the fusion of the Lancastrian and Yorkist noble factions. This fusion was symbolised by the White rose of York and the red rose of Lancaster. An important emblem of the Tudors dynasty which marked the end of the devastating English civil war called the Wars of the Roses.

The Tudor Rose (above)

Map of Europe in the year 1560 (above) – Please click on the image to enlarge.

Henry VIII Wives

The Tudors encompass one of the most exciting periods in English History. The dynasty of the Tudors include Kings and Queens such as King Henry VIII and his daughters, Bloody Mary and Queen Elizabeth I. But King Henry VIII is perhaps most famous for his number of wives – six in all. What were the names of King Henry VIII wives and in what order did he marry them?

Catherine of Aragon
Anne Boleyn
Jane Seymour
Anne of Cleves
Catherine Howard
Catherine Parr

There is a popular rhyme which details the how the marriages of each of the wives of King Henry VIII ended:

“Divorced, Beheaded, Died
Divorced, Beheaded, Survived”

For more information on The Tudors and their history please go to the following websites:

Tudor Genealogy, The Tudors, TodorHistory.org and History on the Net

Sources: please see below

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Book Review – Fire Me (ARC)

Posted on April 23, 2009 by Bobbie Crawford-McCoy

Fire Me,
A Tale of Scheming, Dreaming, and Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places
Written By: Libby Malin
Published By: Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks Inc., 2009, First Edition, 304 pages, paperback
ISBN 978-1402217579
(Available NOW!)

“Fire Me is a zany, laugh-out-loud novel that will satisfy the mischievous child in all of us; an office worker’s dream come true!”

Product Description – Amazon.com
“Anne Wyatt has finally had it with incompetent co-workers, a boss who runs hot and cold, and meaningless busywork with impossible deadlines. But the day she goes in determined to hand in her resignation, she learns that her boss is planning to let someone go. She changes course, deciding to try for the lay-off and the severance package that goes with it. Throughout the day, she engages in hysterical antics designed to attract her boss’ negative evaluation, egged on by Ken, the handsome graphic designer in the next cubicle, who has his own ideas for liberation from the corporate grind. In the end, together Anne and Ken have to decide what is important in life, and what they need to discard without a second glance.”

Fire Me is an absolute must-have for anyone who has worked in an office setting. If you haven’t worked in an office before you’re still going to enjoy this sure-fire hit! This novel is insightful, sincere and the characters are all too human; it’s very easy to identify with them. The story is smoothly flowing and the plot twists are fresh and imaginatively written. The majority of the novel takes place over the course of one day. Anne’s day starts off badly and only gets worse as she tries to be the person in their department to get fired; a wonderful part of this story is how much Anne begins enjoying her attempts to get ‘canned’. Anne and her co-workers juggle their daily tasks while trying to guarantee an outcome; to be THE one to get fired. With witty dialog and outrageous situations, Anne and the rest of the office workers have a day that will long be remembered. This novel is much more than a romance; it’s a fascinating, humorous case study of purpose and ingenuity! Can Anne redefine who she is deep down and find love, all in one day? You’ll have to read it to find out.
I very highly recommend this book!

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ (9 out of 10 Diamonds) – Loved it!

Link to the Author’s website:
http://www.libbymalin.com/index.htm
Link to the Publisher’s Website:
http://www.sourcebooks.com/

A special thanks to Sourcebooks for sending me a copy to review.

Mini Book Expo For Bloggers….

Posted on April 20, 2009 by Bobbie Crawford-McCoy

MINI BOOK EXPO FOR BLOGGERS…. link to the site

**MBE Update:
http://www.minibookexpo.com/2009/04/on-hiatus.html

Has anyone else been having trouble getting their books?
Are you wondering what in the world is going on?
If you said yes, then you’re not alone.

Last I heard, the final pile of the 2008 books were to be released in early 2009. Reviews are still being added to the site, but we’re still waiting for the rest of the 2008 releases as far as I know. Please don’t get me started on any possible 2009 releases… **sighs**

Then there was talk of the site being updated. January 18th 2009, a poll was posted up, asking how could they make things better on Mini Book Expo For Bloggers. With the exception of one planned update, to release books in a more consistent manner, there has been no forthcoming information about what is going on, when any planned changes will take effect, etc.

I understand that changes take time and it isn’t easy, not by a long shot, to coordinate a site such as MBE, but is it really too much to ask for some basic updates?

Shouldn’t MBE be updated so that we (reviewers) know what is going on and if there are going to be longer delays and if so, what amount of time are we looking at?

I am thoroughly frustrated with how the site is being run and I have good reason. My husband, my son and I all review books for MBE, or at least my son has tried, but his books from October 2008, have never arrived, despite countless email to the site head and to the publishers. I can certainly deal without the books from MBE, but I don’t like my son’s hopes being raised when he is told that they’d love for him to review some children’s books (and get a child’s perspective) and then have an over 7-month delay, with doubts as to the books EVER arriving. Despite my assurances and hugs, I still hate seeing my son upset to the point of tears!!

I’m at wits ends here ladies and gentlemen and I am very, and I believe justly, peeved about this whole thing.

Let’s see if we can create some dialog, try to get the ball rolling and have MBE working again, like it should be.

Is anyone else experiencing delays, issues and/or just plain frustrated with Mini Book Expo for Bloggers?

Perhaps it’s all working well for you?

Book Review – The Other Boleyn Girl

Posted on April 20, 2009 by Bobbie Crawford-McCoy

The Other Boleyn Girl
Written By: Philippa Gregory
Published By: Touchstone, a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2003, First Touchstone Edition, 672 pages, paperback
ISBN 978-0743227445
(Movie cover version: ISBN 978-1416560609)

“The Other Boleyn Girl is a vibrant, spell-binding tale of love, loyalty and betrayal in King Henry’s Court; you don’t want to miss this one!”

Product Description – Amazon.com
“Two sisters competing for the greatest prize: the love of a king
When Mary Boleyn comes to court as an innocent girl of fourteen, she catches the eye of Henry VIII. Dazzled by the king, Mary falls in love with both her golden prince and her growing role as unofficial queen. However, she soon realizes just how much she is a pawn in her familys ambitious plots as the kings interest begins to wane and she is forced to step aside for her best friend and rival: her sister, Anne. Then Mary knows that she must defy her family and her king, and take her fate into her own hands.
A rich and compelling tale of love, sex, ambition, and intrigue, The Other Boleyn Girl introduces a woman of extraordinary determination and desire who lived at the heart of the most exciting and glamorous court in Europe and survived by following her own heart.”

The Other Boleyn Girl is absolutely fantastic! The full account as told by this novel, transcends the on-screen film adaptation by leaps and bounds; if you haven’t read this book you are missing out on 3/4′s of the story. As with many film adaptations, this book outshines the on-screen performances and the story it tells. This novel is full of manipulation, political manoeuvring, deceit and heart-wrenching treachery; as the Boleyn’s rise in power so to does their risk of safety and death by treason. Torn loyalties and familial affection become twisted into a grotesque mask of hatred, jealousy and spite. The flowing narrative is uninterrupted by any sluggishness and keeps the reader absorbed from start to finish. As the plot progresses a sense of impending doom grows; it gets diverted from time to time but it keeps building until the very end. With breathtaking prose, the Author creates a world and its various English settings with a poignancy that flows over you like the cool water from a stream; the picturesque beauty of the outdoor scenes nearly had me in tears. When a family is willing to throw away their morals, values and sell their very souls for a chance at the wealth, status and the throne of England, who knows what can happen. I 100% enjoyed this novel. I can’t recommend it highly enough!
If you enjoy Historical Fiction, romance, intrigue or any of the above I implore you to pick up a copy as soon as possible.
I very highly recommend this book!!!

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ (10 out of 10 Diamonds) – Absolutely LOVED it!!

Link to the Author’s website:
http://www.philippagregory.com/
Link to the Publisher’s Website:
http://www.simonsays.com/

A special thanks to Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy to review.

Top 10 Favourite Movies of ALL time…

Posted on April 18, 2009 by Bobbie Crawford-McCoy

my-top-10-favourite-movies-of-all-time

Here are my Top 10 Favourite Movies of ALL Time!!

My Fair Lady
The Bridges of Madison County
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Hannibal
Under The Tuscan Sun
See No Evil, Hear No Evil
Calamity Jane
White Christmas
Moulin Rouge
Fried Green Tomatoes

There are many more movies that I love, but these are my absolute favourites! :-)

What movies made your Top 10 list?

Commercial Book Bindings…

Posted on April 16, 2009 by Bobbie Crawford-McCoy

I’ve been really curious about different types of book bindings. I have gathered some wonderful information and a few photos pertaining to several different types of commercial book bindings.

Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of paper or other material. It also usually involves attaching covers to the resulting text-block.

A mass market paperback (MMP or MMPB) is a small, usually non-illustrated, and inexpensive bookbinding format. They are commonly released after the hardback edition, and often sold in non-traditional bookselling locations such as airports, drug stores, and supermarkets, as well as in traditional bookstores. Many titles, especially in the area of genre fiction, are first editions in paperback and never receive a hardcover printing. This is particularly true of first novels by new authors. Mass market paperbacks (pulp paperbacks) are small (16mo size), cheaply made and often fall apart after much handling or several years.

A trade paperback (TPB), sometimes referred to as a trade paper edition, is a standard-sized or large-sized paperback book. If it is a softcover edition of a previous hardcover edition, and, if published by the same publishing house as the hardcover, the text pages are normally identical to the text pages in the hardcover edition, and the book is usually the same size as the hardcover edition. The only difference is the soft binding; the quality of the paper is usually higher than that of a mass market paperback. Trade paperbacks are more sturdily made, usually larger, and more expensive.

A hardcover, hardback, or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with cloth, heavy paper, or sometimes leather). They may have flexible sewn spines which allow the book to lie flat on a surface when opened, although most modern commercial hardcover books have glued spines.

Thermal Binding uses a one piece cover with glue down the spine to quickly and easily bind documents without the need for punching. Individuals usually purchase ”thermal covers” or “therm-a-bind covers” which are usually made to fit a standard letter size sheet of paper and come with a glue channel down the spine. The paper is placed in the cover, heated in a machine (basically a griddle), and when the glue cools, it adheres the paper to the spine. Thermal glue strips can also be purchased separately for individuals that wish to use customized/original covers. However creating documents using thermal binding glue strips can be a tedious process which requires a scoring device and a large format printer.

Library binding refers to the hardcover binding of serials and paperback books intended for the rigors of library use. Though many publishers have started to provide ”library binding” editions, many libraries elect to purchase paperbacks and have them rebound as hardcover books, resulting in longer life for the material.

An advance review copy, also known as an advance reading copy or ARC, is a copy of a book released by its publisher before the book has gone to press for a complete printing. ARCs generally do not have the final dust jacket, formatting or binding of the finished product; the text of an ARC may also differ from that of the published book if the book is edited after the ARC is produced.
Publishers also produce uncorrected bound proofs, also known as galley proofs, in advance of publication. Galley proofs were historically only used in the editing and proof-reading process, but publishers have recently begun to use them as ARCs. These galley proofs may have bindings and illustrations similar to that of the final copy, unlike old-style galley proofs which were usually bound in plain paper covers and without illustrations. Galley proofs differ from ARCs in that ARCs are printed in full colour and in the same format as a published book, while galley proofs are generally printed in black and white and are significantly larger in size than most books.

Hand Binding (below)

If you found this post helpful, I’d love to hear from you!

Copyright © Book Reviews By Bobbie — Bobbie Crawford-McCoy

Sources: please see below

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Book Review – Forbidden

Posted on April 15, 2009 by Bobbie Crawford-McCoy

Forbidden
Written By: Helen Kirkman
Published By: Harlequin Books, 2004, First Edition, 352 pages, mass market paperback
ISBN 978-0373836291

“Forbidden is a beautiful written, highly sensual love story filled with intimacy, betrayal and redemption.”

Product Description – From Amazon.com
“England, 716 — a time of power and passion, corruption, courage, violence and vengeance . . .
He was for sale — a slave forced to do the bidding of others. Dangerous . . . and fascinating, but no more than a thrall in chains.
She was a lady, a woman bent on vengeance. A woman in need of help. Not the ordinary kind of help. What she wanted to do, what she had to do, did not require commonplace skills. It required courage that took no account of either the odds or the risks. Her idea was every bit as reckless as the slave’s bravery . . . and in all probability just as doomed. No matter the cost, she would never be at the mercy of anyone’s will again.
They were worlds apart.
And anything between them was . . .
forbidden . . .”

Forbidden is a really fantastic Historical Romance. The main characters in this story are very well written and with great humanity; I could identify with their thoughts and feelings. With a smoothly flowing story and an interesting plot, this story really satisfies. I was very pleased with the beginning; it captured my attention quickly and held it right till the end. Set in VERY early England, 716, this novel takes you back to a time when powerful families and landowners ruled absolutely; with barbaric savagery and underhanded schemes, the evil and corrupt flourished because there was no one powerful enough to stop them. When Rowena sees a heavily muscled slave for sale, she finally sees a way to right the wrongs. When Rowena purchases Wulf, she also sets a dangerous plan in motion, one that risks everything she owns and loves. The love scenes are very erotic; steeped in sensuality that nearly made me blush. This book was well worth my time and I really enjoyed this beautiful story.
I very highly recommend this book to Historical Romance readers.

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ (9 out of 10 Diamonds) – Loved it!

Link to the Author’s Website:
http://www.helenkirkman.com/
Link to the Publisher’s Website:
http://www.eharlequin.com/store.html?cid=191

A special thanks to Helen Kirkman for sending me a copy to review.

Book Review – Private Pleasures

Posted on April 13, 2009 by Bobbie Crawford-McCoy

Private Pleasures
Written By: Bertrice Small
Published By: New American Library a division of Penguin Group Inc., 2004, First Edition, 266 pages, paperback
ISBN 978-0451212030

“Private Pleasures is a vibrant, fast-paced story full of explicit eroticism; this book is not for the faint of heart!”

Product Description – Amazon.com
“Nora Buckley’s worst nightmare has just come true. After years of being a devoted, dutiful housewife, she’s found out her husband is leaving her for a younger woman. Her only comfort comes from her friends-the women of Ansley Court, who meet every Monday morning for coffee and gossip.
Seeing Nora’s desperation, her friends decide it’s time to let her in on their delicious and dirty little secret. It’s called The Channel… and it lets every woman unleash passions beyond her wildest dreams. Suddenly Nora is living out her most intimate and sensuous fantasies- and before long, she realizes she can have everything she ever wanted…”

Private Pleasures is filled with promise, but it did not satisfy as I had hoped. I will start with The Channel; it is an absolutely fabulous idea and the Author has really outdone herself! With this inventive escape, Nora and her friends are able to live out their most secret, intimate fantasies. Just imagine the possibilities in real life? It’s every woman’s dream come true!
I think that some of the difficulty I had with this book was how deep the Author takes the fantasies and how dissimilar certain parts are from what I would call erotic and arousing. I really enjoyed the ‘outside The Channel’ part of the story and I was very happy to see Nora standing up for herself. At several points in the storyline though, I felt a disconnection from the book; I lost interest for a few pages. I understand that it is Nora’s dream world and her own private settings, but I was a little grossed-out by some of the sex-play. Some of the love scenes are very erotic, filled with incredible sexual tension and spicy lovemaking, while other love scenes are somewhat cheesy and reminiscent of a poorly written porn video. There are 3 more books in The Channel erotica series and I have high hopes for them; I’m looking forward to some variation and some other types of sexual experimentation. It was an interesting read and eye-opening too. I encourage you to pick up a copy to read if you are into some varied and graphic erotica that breaks boundaries and makes no apologies.
**If you don’t want to read any potential spoilers, please don’t read past this point in the review!**
I was really turned-off by the anal play and anal sex…not that there is anything wrong with it, it just isn’t something that I find sexy or arousing. The man on man action was a little icky too; yes, it’s another thing that doesn’t appeal to me, sad to say.

♦♦♦♦♦♦ (6 out of 10 Diamonds) – I enjoyed it

Link to the Author’s Website:
http://www.bertricesmall.net/
Link to the Publisher’s Website:
http://us.penguingroup.com/

A special thanks to Penguin Group (USA) for sending me a copy to review.

Happy Easter Everyone…

Posted on April 12, 2009 by Bobbie Crawford-McCoy

National Poetry Month Book Giveaway from Hachette Book Group (IS CLOSED!)

Posted on April 9, 2009 by Bobbie Crawford-McCoy

*** Congrats to: Amber(#34), Lily(#108), David Basile(#40), JessLyn/Salleefur(#139), Catherine(#62) ***

** Five chances to win ALL 6 books!! **

A great big thank you to Hachette Book Group for allowing me to host this fantastic Book Giveaway.

To Enter: Please leave a reply in the comment section of this post.

♦The giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents only.

♦You must be 18 years of age or older.
♦The winner’s mailing address: NO P.O. Boxes.
♦Only one entry per household/IP address.
♦The contest ends at midnight on May 1st, 2009.
♦Five(5) winners will be picked in a random draw; they will be notified by 5pm (MDT) by e-mail on Saturday, May 2nd, 2009.

Good Luck Everyone and Have Fun!

Earth Day Book Giveaway from Hachette Book Group (IS CLOSED!)

Posted on April 9, 2009 by Bobbie Crawford-McCoy

*** Congrats to: Leigh Nichols(#192), Ruth Utterback(#67), Cindy L.(#138), Marie(#3), Andria(#155) ***

** Five chances to win ALL 6 books!! **

A great big thank you to Hachette Book Group for allowing me to host this fantastic Book Giveaway.

Harvest for Hope By Jane Goodall , Gary McAvoy , Gail Hudson
The Rural Life By Verlyn Klinkenborg
Is It Just Me or Is Everything Shit? By Steve Lowe , Alan McArthur , Brendan Hay
Starbucked By Taylor Clark
Garbage Land By Elizabeth Royte
The Gift of Nothing By Patrick McDonnell

To Enter: Please leave a reply in the comment section of this post.

♦The giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents only.
♦You must be 18 years of age or older.
♦The winner’s mailing address: NO P.O. Boxes.
♦Only one entry per household/IP address.
♦The contest ends at midnight on May 1st, 2009.
♦Five(5) winners will be picked in a random draw; they will be notified by 5pm (MDT) by e-mail on Saturday, May 2nd, 2009.

Good Luck Everyone and Have Fun!

Premio Dardos Award & One Lovely Blog Award – Thank You So Much!!

Posted on April 7, 2009 by Bobbie Crawford-McCoy

A big thank you to Yvonne at Socrates’ Book Reviews for giving me the Premio Dardos Award; I am delighted to receive it!! Please make sure that you take a few moments to check out Yvonne’s blog, if you haven’t already. :-)

This award acknowledges the the values that every blogger shows in his or her effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values every day.

The rules are:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.

2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that are worthy of this acknowledgment. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Here are my esteemed nominees:

1.   Cindy at Cindy’s Love Of Books
2.   Kathy at Bermudaonion’s Weblog
3.   Sheri at A Novel Menagerie
4.   Bonnie at Redlady’s Reading Room
5.   Natasha at Maw Books Blog
6.   Tracy at Book Room Reviews
7.   Carey at The Tomb Traveller’s Weblog
8.   Dar at Peeking Between the Pages
9.   Shoshana at This Book For Free
10. Tricia at Library Queue
11. Nicki at Fyrefly’s Book Blog
12. Stephanie at Stephanie’s Written Word
13. Teddy at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time
14. Lexie at Poisoned Rationality
15. Debbie at Wrighty’s Reads

I would like to thank Sheri from A Novel Menagerie for giving me this beautiful award. Please stop by Sheri’s blog and take a long look around…she has a gorgeous blog!

This award is pretty self explanatory. I have decided to give the Award to bloggers whose blogs are beautiful to me. I think that these blogs are Lovely!

The rules are:

Copy, save and then add the photo to your blog. Then share the love with up to 7 of your favourite blogs. Be sure to mention the blogger who gave it to you and post a link to that blogger.
Remember to contact the bloggers and let them know that they have been chosen for this award.

Here are my esteemed nominees:

1.   Dar at Peeking Between the Pages
2.   Teddy at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time
3.   Kathy at Bermudaonion’s Weblog
4.   Tricia at Library Queue
5.   Joanne at The Book Zombie
6.   Cindy at Cindy’s Love Of Books
7.   Bonnie at Redlady’s Reading Room

** If I haven’t mentioned your blog, please understand that I am just following the rules of the Award; there are so many other bloggers who I would love to pass these awards on to. **

Book Review – A Shattered Village

Posted on April 6, 2009 by Bobbie Crawford-McCoy

A Shattered Village,
A Logan & Cafferty Mystery (Book 1)
Written By: Jean Henery Mead
Published By: ePress-Online Inc., 2008, First Edition, 209 pages, paperback
ISBN 978-1934258293

“A Village Shattered reminds me of the show ‘Murder She Wrote’; a sleuthing story full of mysterious murders and characters; it keeps you guessing, right till the end!”

Product Description – From Amazon.com
“The Valley Retirement Village is the scene of a serial killer’s revenge. Who is alphabetically killing Sew and So Club members, and why? When the newly-elected sheriff botches the investigation, Dana Logan and Sarah Cafferty, widows living in the village, decide to solve the murders themselves. Dana, a mystery novel buff, and Sarah, a private investigator’s widow, soon make a sobering discovery: they are also on the killer’s list. Dana’s beautiful daughter Kerrie, a news correspondent, arrives, complicating matters, but she quickly proves her value in the investigation. San Joaquin Valley fog hides the killer as well as hindering the murder case. The plot is sprinkled with romance as well as humor in this first novel of the Logan & Cafferty senior sleuth series.”

A Shattered Village feels like you are sitting down with a reassuring, old friend; it is one of those books that let you relax into it. The story is only mildly suspenseful until about 3/4′s of the way through when it ramps right up, but the whole story is packed-full of mysteries that lead you further and further away from the answers to these puzzling and disturbing murders of the members of the seniors Sew and So Club. The Author does a brilliant job of creating moods and settings that enhance the story; she is very skilled at creating entertaining and unique characters as well. With a smoothly-flowing plot and some surprising twists, the Author weaves a mystery that leaves you with more questions then answers, daring you to solve the mystery yourself, before she reveals the killer. I thought I’d figured it all out, several times over, but I was in for quite a surprise. The serial killer is a menacing mixture of deranged self-importance and twisted mania; I would have enjoyed reading more about the killer and hope that perhaps in the next books, more internal dialog from the killers will be included. Throughout the story, romance tries to blossom; but who knows if it can thrive in such a death-laden atmosphere. I enjoyed reading this book, even though mysteries are not one of my favourite genres.
I highly recommend this book to fans of murder mysteries!

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ (7 out of 10 Diamonds) – I really enjoyed it

Link to the Author’s Website:
http://jeanhenrymead.com/
Link to the Publisher’s Website:
http://epress-online.com/

A special thanks to Jean Henry Mead for sending me a copy to review.

When I was little…

Posted on April 4, 2009 by Bobbie Crawford-McCoy

I wanted to share some pictures of me as a little gal. I’ll admit, I was a ‘butterball’ baby. I had a big, round head and a chubby little face. :-)
I was 1, 3, 4 and 8 years of age in these pictures, from top to bottom.

I hope that you’ll feel encouraged to create a post on your blog, with some pictures of you as a little person. If you do, please make sure that you post the link in the comment section of this post so everyone can admire the adorable pictures of you, when you were a cute little girl or boy.
So come on and dig out those old albums and boxes of pictures; I can’t wait to see all the pictures that you post!!

The more pictures and participants the better. :-)

This is going to be so much FUN!

My Son’s Badminton Tournament, today :-)

Posted on April 4, 2009 by Bobbie Crawford-McCoy

Here is Joe (white shirt and light blue shorts) catching some air-time as he jumps to hit the birdie back to the opposing court.

Joe’s Double’s partner called in sick so they weren’t going to let him play for points. Our son was really disappointed; he is a sports man and loves to compete! Thankfully, they were able to find a new partner for him…someone else whose partner didn’t show up.

So Joe played his little heart out, winning a few and losing a few; he didn’t get any medals but he’s a winner in our eyes and he played like a champ! He was a great sport and shook hands with his competitors, smiling up at us. :-) He makes me so proud!!

We took Jordan out for an ice cream…he requested a strawberry sunday; so we bought him the biggest one they sold! :-)

Thats MY boy! xox

Sisterhood Award; what a wonderful surprise!

Posted on April 2, 2009 by Bobbie Crawford-McCoy

sisterhood_award

Stacy from Stacy’s Bookblog has presented me with this award; I am so happy to receive it from this wonderful woman. She is a dedicated blogger and reviewer, one who actively participates and cares so much about so many people. Make sure you visit Stacy at her book blog!
This award honours the attitude and passion of the blogger.

Now here are the details for passing on this honour:

Put the logo on your blog or on a post.
Nominate up to 10 other bloggers which show great attitude and or gratitude.
Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award.

Here are my esteemed nominees:

1.    Cindy at Cindy’s Love Of Books
2.    Kathy at Bermudaonion’s Weblog
3.    Sheri at A Novel Menagerie
4.    Bonnie at Redlady’s Reading Room
5.    Natasha at Maw Books Blog
6.    Tracy at Book Room Reviews
7.    Carey at The Tomb Traveller’s Weblog
8.    Dar at Peeking Between the Pages
9.    Shoshana at Mommy’s Fun Books/Coz I’m a Book-aholic
10. Tricia at Library Queue

♦ Book Reviews By Bobbie ♦

Monthly Archives: April 2009

Book Review – How to Take the GRRRR Out of Anger

Book Review – Too Tall Alice

Book Review – Fire Me (ARC)

Book Review – The Other Boleyn Girl

Book Review – Forbidden

Book Review – Private Pleasures

Happy Easter Everyone…

National Poetry Month Book Giveaway from Hachette Book Group (IS CLOSED!)

Earth Day Book Giveaway from Hachette Book Group (IS CLOSED!)

Premio Dardos Award & One Lovely Blog Award – Thank You So Much!!

Book Review – A Shattered Village

When I was little…

My Son’s Badminton Tournament, today :-)

Sisterhood Award; what a wonderful surprise!

Follow “♦ Book Reviews By Bobbie ♦”