Little One Books (Review & $25 Gift Certificate Giveaway!)

When my sister was planning my baby shower, I had asked to her to request that guests bring a signed baby book instead of a card so that I could get a nice library of books going for my baby.  I couldn’t wait to read to my little girl.   We received some wonderful books, and some not-so-much.  Don’t get me wrong, I appreciated each and every gift from our friends.  They likely popped into a large big-box bookstore and grabbed something in a hurry.

After the party, I visited a small local bookstore and sought the advice of the owner there on which books were the most popular so that I could complete our collection.  Little One Books is one of those unique stores that you can benefit from in very much the same way.  Their books are carefully selected and are categorized by age to help you find the perfect book.

At Little One Books, when you click to view more information about a particular title, there is also a section beneath written by the owners entitled “Why we chose this book.”  The comments are detailed and even lengthy – sometimes several paragraphs on why the book was selected for the store.

 

I had the opportunity to select a few titles from Little One Books.  The first one I chose was Dream Snow by Eric Carle.  It fit my daughter’s age group, was holiday-focused, and the people at Little One Books had great things to say about it.  It’s about a farmer who dreams of snow, only to wake and realize that it wasn’t a dream after all.  The snow has blanketed the farm animals which have been named in numbers which helps teach children counting, and it incorporates Christmas in a simple way.  Emma doesn’t have many holliday-themed books so I knew this would be great. 

It is one of the more unique books we own.   There are plastic pages that overlay some parts of the story to help depict snow.

The other book I selected is I Can Fly by Ruth Krauss.  This is one of those vintage Golden Classics books – in the same style I remember from when I was a child.   Do you remember that golden binding?  It was originally published over 50 years ago but has been reprinted and is brand new. 

I love the simplicity of the book, which follows a little girl as she mimics the animals around her, written in simple rhymes.  After the story concludes, you’re left with the music sheet of the song which the book is based on.

If you want a small bookstore shopping experience without leaving the comfort of your home, give Little One Books a try.  In addition to great books, you’ll also find CDs and DVDs there as well.  From now until November 15th, you’ll get Free Shipping on your order!

GIVEAWAY!
One lucky reader will a $25.00 gift certificate to redeem at Little One Books!
(US + CAN - Ends 11/5)

Mandatory Entry: Visit Little One Books and tell me which book you’d like to get with this gift certificate.

EXTRA ENTRIES: Must leave a separate comment for each extra entry. 
+1 Extra Entry if you follow this blog publicly via Google Friend Connect
+1 Extra Entry if you follow Little One Books on twitter.  Leave your twitter id.
+1 Entry daily follow Girl Gone Mom on twitter and tweet this message:

Little One Books offers hand-selected books, music and video for children.  #Win a $25.00 Gift Card @GirlGoneMom - http://bit.ly/8ZzPFp

+1 Extra Entry ‘Like’ Girl Gone Mom on Facebook and leave a comment on my wall that you entered.
+1 Extra Entry if you like Little One Books on Facebook, leave your FB name.
+1 Extra Entry if after liking them you leave this comment on their wall: I entered to win a $25 Little One Books gift certificate at Girl Gone Mom - http://bit.ly/8ZzPFp
+2 Extra Entries if you become a feed subscriber and tell me which reader you use.
+2 Extra Entries if you are an email subscriber.  Leave email address.
+2 Extra Entries add my new (green) button to your blog sidebar.  Leave the link.
+2 Extra Entries if you add my blog url to your text blog roll. Leave link.
+1 Extra Entry for every other current giveaway you enter.
+1 Extra Entry if you leave a comment on a recent non-giveaway post.
+5 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway with a link to this post.

Contest is open to US residents and closes at Midnight EST on 11/5/2010.  One main entry per person.  No compensation was received for this post.  The sponsor sent me the product sample and is offering a prize for one lucky reader.

Witch Craft - a book of spellbinding crafts (Review & Giveaway)

Contest Closed.  Congratulations to tanya904!

Decorating for Halloween is real treat, pardon the pun.  All of the bright colors and the fun of the season brings out the kid in all of us, doesn’t it?  Witch Craft is a spellbinding collection of dark arts and crafts that will teach you the art of crafting your own décor, costumes and favors for Halloween, which is only weeks away.  Now that is scary!

Margaret McGuire and Alicia Kachmar are the crafters behind the more than 25 clever (and creepy) crafts.  This is just a small sampling of the items you can learn to create from the guides provided in this book:

• Transforming old glass jars into sparkling crystal balls, spell jars, and snow globes
• Stitching yards of tulle and lace into a truly bewitching tutu
• Twisting wire and beads into wicked spider earrings
• Turning yarn, stuffing, and button eyes into creepy crocheted bones
• Using candy, cookies, and tinted frostings to make spooky graveyard cupcakes
• Concocting shimmery love potions to capture your beloved’s heart

The full color photographs are really helpful for a visual learner like me.  The clear instructions are equally helpful, but it’s essential for me to actually be able to see what my end product should look like.  I think that’s the best guide.

These ruby slippers are a must for any Dorothy costume:

But I’m going to make these sandwiches for a Halloween party:

And I’ll definitely make these spooky snow globes:

There is a good range of projects from very simple to follow to more complicated creations. Would you like to thumb through this book and get crafty, Halloween style?

GIVEAWAY!
One lucky reader will win a copy of Witch Craft!

Mandatory Entry: Tell me something you like to make for Halloween, or something you want to learn to create.

EXTRA ENTRIES: Must leave a separate comment for each extra entry. 

+1 Extra Entry if you follow this blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
+1 Entry daily follow Girl Gone Mom on twitter and tweet this message:

#WIN Witch Craft–a book of spellbinding crafts @girlgonemom #giveaway - http://bit.ly/alQCg5

+1 Extra Entry if you ‘Like’ Witch Craft on Facebook.
+1 Extra Entry ‘Like’ Girl Gone Mom on Facebook and leave a comment on my wall that you entered.
+2 Extra Entries if you become a feed subscriber and tell me which reader you use.
+2 Extra Entries if you are an email subscriber.  Leave email address.
+2 Extra Entries add my new (green) button to your blog sidebar.  Leave the link.
+2 Extra Entries if you add my blog url to your text blog roll. Leave link.
+1 Extra Entry for every other current giveaway you enter.
+1 Extra Entry if you leave a comment on a non-giveaway post.
+5 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway with a link to this post.

No compensation was received for this post.  The sponsor provided a product sample for the review. Contest is open to anyone age 18 and older who lives in the US and closes at Midnight EST on October 15th.  One main entry per person.  The winner will be selected using Random.org. See giveaway rules before entering. GOOD LUCK!

Book Review: The boy who came back from Heaven

Although I do love to read, I find it difficult finding the time to fit another activity into my already busy schedule.  If I’m going to read a book, it has to be something special enough that I will actually make the time for.  The boy who came back from heaven definitely caught my attention.  This book is a true story as told by Kevin and Alex Malarkey about a near-fatal accident that occurred when the two were driving home from church one day.  The coroner was nearly called to the scene of the accident as Alex was practically decapitated, but miraculously survived.

The injuries put Alex in a coma, but when he finally awoke and was able to communicate, he had amazing things to share about his time in heaven, with God, and even meeting the devil.  Alex has made great strides in his recovery.  Miraculous even, making medical professionals scratch their heads.  Alex claims to see angels to this day and divulges some of the information about his experience with God and “people from the bible”, but not all of it.  He says that God had asked him to keep some details of his knowledge hidden. 

While I think most readers would be interested in his spiritual accounts, the book is mostly about what the family and friends of Alex went through.  In other words, it tells the entire story, with little snippets of information about Alex’s sneak peak into the afterlife dispersed here and there.  I admit I skimmed through some of the sections just so I could get to the parts about Heaven and Angels.  I couldn’t help myself.  Who isn’t curious about that? 

Alex’s Dad, Kevin revealed his own personal demons as well as the family’s triumphs throughout this ordeal.  It seems that the miracles just keep coming for this faithful family and their circle of friends.  It’s hard to think that God isn’t behind it all.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The boy who came back from heaven and felt it was well worth my time.  Personally, I would have liked to have read more about what it was like being in heaven.  Maybe there will be a book number two?  Whether you’re a believer or not, and if you’re even the least bit curious – you should read this book.  I want everyone I know to read the story.

No compensation was received for this post.  I was sent a copy of the book to read in order to provide my honest take on it.

Winning Style: Fashion for Dummies by Jill Martin Giveaway!

Closed – Winner is #16 S Club Mama

You may recognize Jill Martin from her fashion segments on The Today Show.   She’s one of my favorite contributors there, and now I’m happy to own her complete style guide in Fashion For Dummies.  This paperback is a must-have for every woman.  It’s just over 300 pages and about a solid inch thick – packed with tips, tricks and advice for finding your own personal style.

In this book, you’ll discover what looks good on you – from color to style and fit – and so much more.  If you’re into detail, you can learn about how fabrics are made and the different types of fibers that may be used in a particular material.  But if you just want to get down to the nitty gritty, you can skip over to the section all about what to wear to a black tie event.  It just shows the broad spectrum of information provided in this book. 

I love this brief video which demonstrates several ways to transform a scarf.  Like Jill says, it’s more than an accessory for your neck.

 

If you enjoyed this video, you will love Fashion For Dummies.  Throughout the book, Jill shares favorite resources and products to make fashion work.  There are several full color illustrations that will give even the fashion novice some solid schooling.  I love the fact that there is a detailed index in the back so that I can quickly and easily find the advice specific to my question.

 

As I said before, this guide is packed with information, so it’s impossible to tell you everything that’s inside.  One of my favorite tips has to do with over-accessorizing.  It’s not easy to tell if you’ve gone overboard.  I really like Jill’s tip on page 270, which instructs you to put on all of your baubles with your back turned to the mirror.  Turn around to see yourself.  Whatever you notice first is the piece that you should remove.  Isn’t that genious?!

 

There are so many pointers, but I don’t want to spill all of her secrets!  The books sells for only $24.99.  That’s a bargain price considering the hundreds of dollars I invested in bad fashion choices!

GIVEAWAY!
One of my readers will receive a copy of Fashion for Dummies!
(US Only - Ends 10/21)

Mandatory Entry:  Leave a comment below telling me another For Dummies book you like.

EXTRA ENTRIES: Must leave a separate comment for each extra entry.  For example, if you become an email subscriber, leave two comments.

+1 Extra Entry if you follow this blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
+1 Extra Entry if you follow For Dummies on twitter.
+1 Entry daily follow Girl Gone Mom on twitter and tweet this message:
WIN a copy of Fashion for Dummies! http://bit.ly/bZeUd1 The must have guide book for women. #WinningStyle @girlgonemom @ForDummies #giveaway

+1 Extra Entry if you ‘Like’ For Dummies on Facebook.
+1 Extra Entry ‘Like’ Girl Gone Mom on Facebook and leave a comment on my wall that you entered.
+2 Extra Entries if you become a feed subscriber and tell me which reader you use.
+2 Extra Entries if you are an email subscriber.  Leave email address.
+5 Extra Entries add my new (green) button to your blog sidebar.  Leave the link.
+1 Extra Entry if you add my Fall for Fashion button to your blog sidebar.  Leave link.
+1 Extra Entry if you tag my fan page and a link to this contest in your facebook status.  If you do this correctly it will appear on my wall.
+2 Extra Entries if you add my blog url to your text blog roll. Leave link.
+1 Extra Entry for every other current giveaway you enter.
+1 Extra Entry if you leave a comment on a non-giveaway post.
+5 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway.

No compensation was received for this post.  The sponsor provided a product sample for the review, and is offering one gift card to a lucky reader. Contest is open to anyone age 18 and older who lives in the US or Canada and closes at Midnight EST on October 21st.  One main entry per person.  The winner will be selected using Random.org. See giveaway rules before entering. GOOD LUCK!

Barefoot Books (Review & Giveaway)

Contest Closed.  Congrats to our winner, #134 - sharonjo

I met Ty at a local work-at-home expo in my area a few months ago.  She runs her own home business as a Mom Ambassador for Barefoot Books, a company offering beautiful books made to inspire young minds.

Barefoot Books began with two mothers who wanted their children to have books that would feed the imagination, while instilling a respect for diversity and a love of the planet. Today, we are a world-wide community of writers, artists, storytellers, musicians, and others who are committed to providing timeless stories and captivating art that can help children become happy, engaged members of a global society.

The storefront is easy to navigate, with several different categories to help you choose.  You can shop by best sellers, award winners, and even by age.   I started by selecting the 1-2 year age range to find something appropriate for Emma.  That’s when I saw Mother Goose Remembers, which is a collection of the classic nursery rhymes with a feather from Mother Goose “hidden” for children to discover on each and every page.  Barefoot Books even lets you see a few inside pages of the book to help you get the feel of what you’re buying, and I liked what I saw.

I knew by seeing the detail images of the book that the illustrations were unique, but they looked even better in person.  The illustrations are quilted and make this book special. 

The fact that it included a sing-along CD was a huge bonus.  It adds to the storytime experience with songs and rhymes performed by Caroline Butler, Charles Spicer, Nick Hooper and Dave Townsend.  I like to play the CD in the car when we can’t read but still want to listen to the book and hear the stories.   What’s also great is that nursery rhymes are classic, and we’ll be able to enjoy them for years to come with the recommended age range being from babies-5 years.

It is a sturdy hardcover title with paper pages which Emma can be rough on.  She really loved this book and wanted to hold it and turn the pages herself but I had to monitor the situation carefully so she didn’t rip anything.

GIVEAWAY! 
One lucky person will win the title of their choice from Barefoot Books!
(Value up to $19.99.  Giveaway is open World-Wide and ends on 9/27)

Mandatory Entry:  Visit with Barefoot Books and tell me which title you’d like if you win.

EXTRA ENTRIES: Must leave a separate comment for each entry.
+1 Entry if you follow Barefoot Books on twitter and leave your handle.
+1 Entry daily follow Girl Gone Mom on twitter and tweet this message.  Must leave the url to tweet in your comment.

Win one of the beautiful children’s books from Barefoot Books @GirlGonemom @barefootandsuny World-Wide Giveaway! http://bit.ly/d6KJKg

+1 Entry ‘Like’ Girl Gone Mom on Facebook and leave a comment on my wall.+1 Entry if you are a public follower of this blog.
+2 Entries if you become a feed subscriber and tell me which reader you use.
+2 Entries if you are an email subscriber.  Leave email address.
+3 Entries add my new (green) button to your blog sidebar.  Leave the link.
+1 Entry if you add my Fall for Fashion button to your blog sidebar.  Leave link.
+1 Entry for every other current giveaway you enter.
+1 Entry if you leave a meaningful comment on a non-giveaway post.
+5 Entries if you blog about this giveaway.

No compensation was received for this post. The sponsor provided a product sample in order to facilitate my review and has generously offered one for a lucky reader. Contest is open to anyone in the world age 18 and older and closes at Midnight EST on September 27th.  The winner will be selected using Random.org. See giveaway rules before entering. GOOD LUCK!

Guidecraft Moon & Stars Media Carousel (Review & Giveaway)

Contest Closed.  Congratulations to #707 - Tj and Amy

Our family room is a really odd shape.  It is open to the kitchen, has a back stairway off of it, with many windows and fireplace along the other two walls.   There isn’t a lot of wall space, and we struggle with finding ways to store Emma’s things in a neat and tidy way while preserving the look and feel of our family room.  In other words, I don’t want the room to end up looking like a toy store when we’re entertaining our adult friends after the kids have gone to bed. 

Emma has become quite the little reader, and so we chose the Moon & Stars Media Carousel to store all of her books.   Upon delivery, we noticed that it was very well packaged.  Each piece was wrapped for protection.  All of the parts seemed to be high in quality, and the wood parts have smooth rounded corners and are splinter-free.  Assembly took about a hour.  It involved deciphering a diagram and all of the parts were numbered, so it was straightforward and easy to understand.

We did have a problem with one of the pieces being defective.  It's the very top wooden circle that is exposed when assembled.  So I called customer care about it yesterday, and they’re shipping out a replacement part for us.  Unfortunately, we’ll have to reassemble the unit all over again, but these things do happen.  I am kind of glad that it did, so that I could give Guidecraft’s customer service skills a test run, and I can now say that they passed with flying colors! 

The Moon & Stars Media Carousel is perfect for our small space.  It’s a real, hardwood piece of furniture that stores books, cds and dvds.  And here’s my favorite part: It rotates on it’s base so everything is easily accessible.  This is huge.  It’s round shape allows it to fit anywhere, even in our small space in the family room.  It stands 31 inches tall and is about 20 inches in diameter.

It’s a beautiful piece of furniture, and a nice addition to our family room.  So bright and colorful, too!

GIVEAWAY!  One very lucky person will win the Moon & Stars Media Carousel from Guidecraft – valued at $200!

Mandatory Entry:  Comment below telling me your favorite product from Guidecraft, other than the Moon & Stars Carousel.

EXTRA ENTRIES: Must leave a separate comment for each entry.
+1 Entry if you ‘Like’ Guidecraft on facebook, leave your fb name.
+1 Entry if after you like Guidecraft, leave this comment on their wall: I entered to win the guidecraft giveaway @girlgonemom! http://bit.ly/9f4NI5
+1 Entry if you follow Guidecraft on twitter and leave your twitter id.
+1 Entry ‘Like’ Girl Gone Mom on Facebook and leave a comment on my wall.
+1 Entry daily follow Girl Gone Mom on twitter and tweet this message.  Must leave the url to tweet in your comment.

WIN the Moon & Stars Media Carousel from Guidecraft, a $200 value! Great for books and it rotates too! @GirlGonemom – http://bit.ly/9f4NI5

+1 Entry if you are a public follower of this blog.
+1 Entry if you follow the Guidecraft blog.
+2 Entries if you become a feed subscriber and tell me which reader you use.
+2 Entries if you are an email subscriber.  Leave email address.
+2 Entries add my new (green) button to your blog sidebar.  Leave the link.
+2 Entries if you add my Fall for Fashion button to your blog sidebar.  Leave link.
+1 Entry for every other current giveaway you enter.
+1 Entry if you leave a meaningful comment on a non-giveaway post.
+5 Entries if you blog about this giveaway.

No compensation was received for this post. The sponsor provided a product sample to facilitate my review. Contest is open to US residents age 18 and older and closes at Midnight EST on October 4th.  The winner will be selected using Random.org. See giveaway rules before entering. GOOD LUCK!

Masterpuppet Theatre (Review & Giveaway)

Closed – Congrats Hifam!

Are you a lover of classic literature and theatre?  Want to instill in your children an appreciation for one of the most well-known literary masters that is Shakespeare?  Masterpuppet Theatre is an interactive book allowing you to do just that.

Created by Michael Rogalski, the kit comes with a playbook book containing excerpts from Shakespearean plays--

Along and 60 finger puppet cards featuring famous characters like Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Lady Macbeth and many more--

and twelve stand-up sets of castles, forests, balconies, and battle fields to provide a backdrop for where the scenes take place--

This is a great way to help kids put together the scenes in their minds before they can completely understand what’s written on the pages.  The book is recommended for kids ages 13 and up, and therefore not appropriate for my little one.  We played with the puppet cards a little before I packed up the kit for future fun.

The kit will be officially released on September 1st, but you can preorder one now for $14.95.  For you Amazon lovers, it’s also available there too.

GIVEAWAY!  One lucky reader will receive a copy of Masterpuppet Theatre!

Mandatory Entry:  Comment below telling me why you want to win the kit, or who you want to give it to.

EXTRA ENTRIES: Must leave a separate comment for each entry. 
+1 Entry if you follow Irreference on twitter leave your handle.
+1 Entry Follow Girl Gone Mom on twitter. Must leave your twitter handle.
+1 Entry per day for tweeting this message, must leave the url to tweet in your comment.
WIN a copy of Masterpuppet Theatre and hold Shakespearean plays in your home! @GirlGonemom – http://bit.ly/a18kh9
+1 Entry ‘Like’ Girl Gone Mom on Facebook.  Leave any comment on my wall.
+1 Entry if you are a public follower of this blog.
+2 Entries if you become a feed subscriber and tell me which reader you use.
+1 Entry if you are an email subscriber.  Leave email address.
+3 Entries add my new (green) button to your blog sidebar.  Leave the link.
+2 Entries if you add my Fall for Fashion event button to your blog sidebar.  Leave link.
+1 Entry for every other current giveaway you enter.
+1 Entry if you subscribe to my You Tube page.
+1 Entry if you leave a meaningful comment on a non-giveaway post.
+5 Entries if you blog about this giveaway.

No compensation was received for this post.  I was sent a copy of the kit to facilitate my candid review of the product.  Contest is open to US residents 18 and older and closes at Midnight EST on September 17th.  The winner will be selected using Random.org. See giveaway rules before entering. GOOD LUCK!

Summer Reading: The Devil Amongst the Lawyers (Giveaway – 5 Winners!)

Contest Closed
Unfortunately, we haven’t visited the pool the past few weekends.  We’ve been filling our weekends with, well more active activities.  With that being said, I am still slowly working on A Desirable Residence, so I haven’t been able to even start reading The Devil Amongst the Lawyers.  I did however take the opportunity to listen to Sharyn McCrumb’s introduction, and now I suddenly have the urge to finish the last book so that I can dive into this one.

Here is a look at what the book is about:

In 1935, when Erma Morton, a beautiful young woman with a teaching degree, is charged with the murder of her father in a remote Virginia mountain community, the case becomes a cause célèbre for the national press.

Eager for a case to replace the Lindbergh trial in the public’s imagination, the journalists descend on the mountain county intent on infusing their stories with quaint local color: horse-drawn buggies, rundown shacks, children in threadbare clothes. They need tales of rural poverty to give their Depression-era readers people whom they can feel superior to. The untruth of these cultural stereotypes did not deter the big-city reporters, but a local journalist, Carl Jennings, fresh out of college and covering his first major story, reports what he sees: an ordinary town and a defendant who is probably guilty.

This journey to a distant time and place summons up ghosts from the reporters’ pasts:  Henry Jernigan’s sojourn in Japan that ended in tragedy, Shade Baker’s hardscrabble childhood on the Iowa prairie, and Rose Hanelon’s brittle sophistication, a shield for her hopeless love affair. While they spin their manufactured tales of squalor, Carl tries to discover the truth in the Morton trial with the help of his young cousin Nora, who has the Sight. But who will believe a local cub reporter whose stories contradict the nation’s star journalists? For the reader, the novel resonates with the present: an economic depression, a deadly flu epidemic, a world contending with the rise of political fanatics, and a media culture determined to turn news stories into soap operas for the diversion of the masses.

A stunning return to the lands, ballads, and characters upon which she made her name, The Devil Amongst the Lawyers is a testament to Sharyn McCrumb’s lyrical and evocative writing.

I think we’ve all seen evidence of how the press can twist and turn the real truth in order to sell more stories.  This book is based on a real-life occurence of the true story of Edith Maxwell, who in July 1935 was accused of murdering her coal mining father.  Take a look at the Visual Journey for  Sharyn McCrumb’s The Devil Amongst the Lawyers.

GIVEAWAY!
Five readers will win a copy of The Devil Amongst the Lawyers!

Here are the links needed for some of the EXTRA ENTRIES (You may want to complete before filling out form).
-Like my new facebook page for Girl Gone Mom.
-Follow me on twitter.
-Tweet to use for this giveaway:

#Win a copy of The Devil Amongst the Lawyers, a novel by Sharyn McCrumb ~ Five Winners! http://bit.ly/9oFQ3z @girlgonemom #summeressentials

No compensation was received for this post. I received a product sample in order to facilitate my honest review. Contest is open to U.S. residents 18 and older and closes at Midnight EST on July 30th. The winner will be selected using Random.org. See giveaway rules before entering. GOOD LUCK!

Summer Reading: A Desirable Residence by Madeleine Wickham (Giveaway – 5 Winners!)

(Contest Closed)
Boy, do I miss the days of curling up with a good book, especially when I’m beach or pool side while I let the sun tan my skin.  When you have a toddler, a blog, bills to pay and a house to clean, who has the time to read?  My most recent answer to this is, you make the time.  Somehow, us moms have to carve out some “me time” to keep us sane.  And there’s nothing like a good book to take your mind away from the stress of all of your motherly duties. 

My latest escape is A Desirable Residence by Madeleine Wickham.  I’m about half way through this book.  I reach for it whenever I have a few minutes to spare.  Mostly I’ve been reading it at the pool club on the weekend while my husband entertains our daughter.  (I’m lucky like that.)

The Author, Madeleine Wickham has written several novels and a few bestsellers including The Wedding Girl, Sleeping Arrangements, and The Gatecrasher. She also penned the Shopaholic series as Sophie Kinsella.

What I’m enjoying about this book is that it is tangible and relevant, tapping into the problems that plague everyday families in 2010.  Issues like real estate lows, debt, materialism and overspending as well as infidelity.  There may be a slight learning curve to some of the references and phrases in the book, since it is based in Great Britain, but that makes it even more interesting.

  Here is a preview of the storyline:

The asking price for this house includes a stunning renovation of hearts and dreams....Liz and Jonathan Chambers were stuck with two mortgages, mounting debts, and a miserable adolescent daughter. Then realtor Marcus Witherstone came into their lives—and it seemed he would solve all their problems. He knew the perfect tenants from London who would rent their old house: a glamorous PR girl, Ginny, and her almost-famous husband, Piers.

But soon Liz is lost in blissful dreams of Marcus, Jonathan is left to run their business, and neither of them has time to notice that their teenage daughter is developing an unhealthy passion for the tenants, Piers and Ginny. Everyone is tangled up with everyone else, and in the most awkward possible way. As events close in, they all begin to realize that some deceptions are just a bit too close to home.

A Desirable Residence is sure to continue the phenomenal success of the Sophie Kinsella/Madeleine Wickham franchise.

How would like to read this book while you enjoy a warm summer breeze and a cool drink?  Well, you’re in luck. 

WIN IT!  Five (5) lucky readers will each win a copy of A Desirable Residence!  Just leave your email address in the form below to be entered so that I can reach you if you win! 
(Your email address will never be distributed and will only be used to contact you.)

Here are the links for EXTRA ENTRIES (You may want to complete before filling out form).
-Like my new facebook page for Girl Gone Mom.
-Follow me on twitter.
-The tweet to use for this giveaway:
5 winners will receive a copy of the book, A Desirable Residence http://tinyurl.com/253hv7b Enter to #win @girlgonemom #summeressentials

 

No compensation was received for this post.  The sponsor provided one copy to me to facility my review and has generously offered to award 5 copies to 5 lucky readers.  Giveaway will end on July 15, 2010 and Midnight EST.