books

Giving Away Books Interrupts the Monday Meme


It’s time to give away another book, dear readers. Wendy Tokunaga, the author of Midori By Moonlight, contacted me wondering if my readers would like her to send one of them a copy. I answered for you in the affirmative.

The novel is about a young Japanese woman who comes to San Francisco to marry , but when her engagement falls through, she is left with an expiring visa and an idea she can still make her aspirations come true. You can read an excerpt here.

As someone who crossed international borders for love, I was intrigued, and I will let you know what I think of the novel after I read my copy.

As before, the drawing is a random one and you simply need to comment to enter, but if you wouldn’t mind sharing a story about yourself  too- like say a dream you went to great lengths to achieve – I would be very interested in reading about it, but it’s not a requirement. Enter until midnight on Friday, January 16th. Winner will be announced next Monday, January 19th.

Upcoming Events at anniegirl1138


I am still in the thick of plotting my first quarter but so far the following are on the books:

January 16 is y review of Kirk Curnutt’s Breathing the Ghost Out. I am about a quarter of the way through and have to say that this is an author who knows how to breath life into his characters. They are very real though uncomfortable.

On January 21st I will be guesting blogging here, and writing about my favorite bookstore in my old West Des Moines stomping grounds.

Another TLC book tour review of Ingrid Cummings The Vigorous Mind is scheduled here on January 27th. This book hasn’t arrived yet, so I can’t tell you much about it first hand, but I am excited. Essentially she writes about cross training the mind to health and happiness through diversity of activities.

Finally, another book giveaway! On Monday, January 12 I will host a week long chance for my dear readers to win a copy of Wendy Tokunaga‘s Midori By Moonlight. I haven’t yet gotten my copy, but I was intrigued by the synopsis. Young Japanese woman with a dream and a pending wedding to an American arrives in San Francisco, but things don’t work out the way she’s envisioned them. I don’t read this type of book a lot, rom-com-ish women’s lit, but I like the genre and wish I had a talent for it. Very excited to have the opportunity for another giveaway. I love giving books away. Come February I hope to have a few more giveaways in the works.

I am still weaving my quarterly web of writing tasks. I am finding that breaking my time into 90ish day increments to be most helpful, but I have still not discovered my John Deere tractor in terms of a project. One that will grab hold and not let go. And no, the memoir is not in that category. The memoir is an Ahab thing. What I am talking about is that one idea that fires the creative neurons and swamps you with the need to write. And yes, I know too well a writer cannot live off divine inspiration alone. The grind of writing is the norm. But I know the lightening strikes are out there. The readiness is all.

Stay tuned.

Book Giveaway! Matrimony by Joshua Henkin


I interrupt the regular Monday Meme to give my dear readers a chance to win a belated Christmas prezzie.

Next month I will be reviewing the novel, Matrimony by Joshua Henkin. He contacted me a couple of weeks ago wondering if I would be interested in giving away an autographed copy of his book to one of my readers. Since I have never given any of you anything (except fits perhaps), I wondered how you would react, my dear readers. But I know that for myself, anytime someone offers me a free book, I am snoopy-dance happy. Books are a way awesome thing to find in your mailbox.

So, the novel is about a marriage as it evolves over time and the reviews I’ve read are quite good.  It was a New York Times Notable so I am looking forward to reading it myself.

The contest* is a random drawing and all you have to do to enter is leave a comment and share your ideas of what marriage means -from personal experience or just wishful thinking. The deadline for entering is midnight (MST) this Friday, December 26th. The winner will be announced on Monday, December 29th. And there are no geographical restrictions. Josh will send this book to the winner wherever they may be.

*I am not kidding people. I really have a book to give away. Enter and possibly win.