One Day - review and giveaway

The ad for One Day by David Nicholls caught my eye because it featured a quote from Nick Hornby. When Hornby recommends a book, I take notice.

"big, absorbing, smart, fantastically readable"

Hornby also noted One Day to be "the perfect beach read for people who are normally repelled by the very idea of beach reads."


Well, well. I might be one of those people. And, I have to agree with Nick, it was a perfect poolside read.

Because it's still summer, although school has already started in some places, thanks to the wonderfully generous folks at Random House, I have three copies of One Day to give away so you, too, may experience this gem of a late summer read. But first, let me tell you why I liked this book so much.

The main characters, Em & Dex are compellingly human. Insecure, arrogant, witty, intelligent, clueless, vulnerable, clumsy, generous, lazy, ambitious, talented and ultimately lovable. The dialogue between Em & Dex made me laugh out loud several times, just like my favorite Hornby books.

The story spans twenty years beginning in 1988 on graduation day. I graduated from college in 1987 so right away, there was this connection for me. It's also set in England, which I love. Relationships are central to the story. Not just the relationship between Dex & Em but their relationships to others including family, coworkers, roommates and friends. I don't want to reveal too much because much of the charm in this book is in its curious unfolding. Lets just say, if you like Nick Hornby's "Juliet, Naked" or "About a Boy" and have a fondness for Bridget Jones and the film "When Harry Met Sally," you will like this book. You might even love it. You'll definitely want to read it before you see the movie (Anne Hathaway! Patricia Clarkson!).

Giveaway Details:

• Three copies of One Day by David Nicholls have been provided by Random House.
• To enter to win, leave a comment on this post that includes your email address.
• For another entry follow this blog or subscribe via email -- current followers/subscribers are eligible too. Leave a separate comment for this.
• Blog/Tweet about this giveaway. Leave a separate comment with your twitter user name and/or link to blog post.

NOTE: Giveaway reserved for residents within the U.S.

The winners will be selected from the comments using random.org.
Deadline: midnight, August 26. Winners announced August 27.

Good luck!

Getting In by Karen Stabiner - giveaway

Publisher's Description:

In her nonfiction books about parenting -- The Empty Nest, My Girl, and All Girls -- Karen Stabiner won acclaim for her insights about living with teenagers. Now, in a heartwarming and hilarious new novel, she writes about the biggest challenge of all: getting a child into the perfect college. With a survivor's wit and a journalist's eye, she tells the story of five Los Angeles high school seniors and their parents as they navigate the obstacle course that is college admissions. Getting In follows these interconnected families -- three at the tony Crestview School, two at its public counterpart, Ocean Heights High -- in their pursuit of a fat envelope from their favorite schools. But the college application process is full of surprises, and each of the families has to scramble as their best-laid plans start to crumble. Ultimately, everyone -- moms, dads, and applicants -- discovers what the admissions process is really about: growing up. Getting In is a necessary distraction for all high-school parents, a hybrid of comic narrative and insider information.

Although my daughter has long since graduated from college, this book brought back vividly her junior and senior years in high school when much of our focus was on where she would be going to school. Whether this experience is before you or in your past, you'll find this book to be an amusingly unsparing look at this American cultural phenomenon and rite of passage in the life of a family. I enjoyed this book for both the memories it brought back and the snarky commentary on the southern California lifestyle. I also found the character of Ted, the head of the college counseling department at the elite private school intriguing. Especially recommended for parents of teens or soon to be teens and anyone who has worked with students to apply to college, grad school or professional schools.

Giveaway Details:

One copy of Getting In by Karen Stabiner has been provided by a publicist for giveaway.

To enter to win, leave a comment on this post that includes your email address.

For more entries (1) follow this blog or subscribe via email -- current followers/subscribers are eligible too. Leave a separate comment for this. (2) Tweet this post on Twitter. Leave a separate comment with your twitter user name.

NOTE: Giveaway reserved for residents within the U.S. and Canada.

The winner will be selected from the comments using random.org.

Deadline: midnight, May 23. Winner announced May 24.

Good luck!

This One is MINE (review & giveaway)

The characters in This One is Mine by Maria Semple are an example of what Zoe Heller is talking about in the quote in the previous post. I have no interest in being a friend to any of them. But, that doesn't mean their shenanigans weren't interesting and at times, funny.

Semple, who is a former TV sitcom writer (Arrested Development and Mad About You), has offered a take on Los Angeles through the eyes of her characters that was a guilty pleasure for me. It was in some aspects, akin to slowing down for a good look at the accident that has kept you trapped in traffic for an hour. I'm both pulled in and repulsed.

The main character, Violet is simultaneously adrift, floating along in the LA haze of the rich and almost famous life while also laser-focused on a mission of self-destruction. Violet is intelligent and sensitive, but something is screwed up with her. She's a bit like the flower she's named for: pretty, sentimental, old fashioned (with a husband in the music biz, she likes Sondheim) but ultimately out of her element in the southern California desert environment.

This One is MINE reminded me of I'm Losing You by Bruce Wagner, another book where the characters are unlikeable, but interesting. Semple's book is more enjoyable though because it is funny in spots. It's worth reading just for Violet's husband's experience at the yoga retreat. Hilarious.

This book is for you if like Arrested Development and also enjoy books such as Heller's The Believers and Notes on a Scandal.

Check out this interview at Largehearted Boy where Maria Semple shares her soundtrack for This One is MINE.

Note: I received a paperback copy of This One is MINE from the publisher.

Giveaway

If you'd like my copy of This One is MINE, leave a comment below. For an extra entry, leave a second, separate comment if you become a follower of this blog or already follow. Be sure to give me your email address so I can contact you if you win. U.S. residents only this time.

Ends the evening of Sunday, May 16th. Winning comment selected by random.org.

Good luck!

buy the piano

Have you ever found yourself wondering how oncology nurses can handle doing their jobs? It has to be the hardest job in medicine. And, as is learned from Theresa Brown's new memoir, Critical Care - A New Nurse Faces Death, Life, and Everything in Between, you can add the physical stress of working long shifts to the emotional toll of caring for vulnerable patients and their families.

I was originally drawn to this book because I'm intrigued by people who make changes in midlife. In this case, Brown left her position as an academic (professor of literature) to enter nursing school and ultimately become an RN specializing in oncology. It was interesting to read why she made this decision and the impact it made on her family.

Brown writes vividly about her triumphs and struggles to become a fully skilled, professional nurse within the unique work culture of a hospital, and more specifically, a ward on the oncology floor. Did you know that some of the mean girls we encountered in high school later became nursing supervisors? Heads up.

What I found most profound was learning how Ms. Brown's experience with her patients and their families changed her view of life. As she learned to be an effective advocate for her patients, she also found the determination to stand up for herself as a medical professional. And, not surprisingly, she has learned first-hand how quickly your life or someone you love's life can change. Take nothing for granted, or as the author says: buy the piano.

Note: I received an advance reader's edition of Critical Care from Library Thing's Early Reviewer.

Giveaway:
If you would like my copy of Critical Care, leave a comment about your view of the role nurses play in our healthcare system. I'll use random.org on the evening of Saturday May 8th to select the winner. Be sure to leave a second separate comment if you follow this blog. U.S. residents only.

Giveaway - Calling all explorers!

In honor of John Muir's birthday today and courtesy of Heyday Books, I'm very pleased to offer The Laws Pocket Guide Set: San Francisco Bay Area by John Muir Laws. The author of this set of four beautifully illustrated waterproof/tearproof (designed for pockets and backpacks) foldout guides is not related to the late John Muir but was named after the famous California naturalist. Soon, people will name their children after Laws himself -- his work is that good!

We just returned from a trip to Kauai and would have loved to have had something as well-made and easy to use with us. I'm looking forward to using these guides as we explore the San Francisco Bay area this summer and in the years to come.

To enter to win The Laws Guide Set for San Francisco Bay Area, just visit the Heyday Books website, and come back here and leave a comment saying which of the many categories of books Heyday offers that you find most interesting. Leave a second comment for an extra entry if you follow this blog.

If you live near or in the SF Bay area or plan to visit, you'll love having this set of guides with you as you explore this beautiful part of California.

I'll select the winning comment using random.org late in the evening on Saturday, May 1st.

Note: for U.S. residents only.

Good luck!

March Madness Book Giveaway!

OK, the two books I've selected to giveaway have nothing to do with college basketball but it is March. And, who reads this blog that isn't at least a little mad about reading?



Here's your chance to win one of these books. I've read both (and they are great books) so they are technically 'used' books but you'll find them to be 'like new.' I'm very gentle with my books!

All you need to do is leave a comment telling me which one you'd like. Leave a second comment if you follow this blog for an extra entry. Also, be sure to include your email address.

I'll select the winners (using random.org) around midnight on March 31st. U.S. residents only this time.

Good luck!