The Tree That Bear Climbed by Marianne Berkes & GIVEAWAY

Do you remember the childhood story, The House That Jack Built?  It's a story that builds upon itself, creating a rhythm that children cannot resist.  The concept and rhythm is just what Marianne Berkes brings us in her story, The Tree That Bear Climbed.  Let me give you a little peak . . .

These are the roots

that anchor the tree

that bear climbed.

This is the soil

that feeds the roots

that anchor the tree

that bear climbed.

This is the rain

that waters the soil

that feeds the roots

that anchor the tree

that bear climbed.

Berkes continues her tale, building both the tree and the story to the very top.  Readers learn the parts of the tree, starting with the roots and ending with a little surprise.  I also discovered that as I read the tale to my own children, they even began chanting the last lines to the story right along with me, making it a very fun and educational read-aloud.

The Tree That Bear Climbed is a book that is published by Sylvan Dell Publishing.  As with all of their books, you can find additional educational tips, resources, and activities to accompany this book both in the final pages as well as online.  I am excited to announce that thanks to Sylvan Dell Publishing, one of my readers will also receive a copy of this book to share with the children in their lives!!  See below for more details:

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Open to US & Canada Residents ONLY.

Copy of The Tree That Bear Climbed by Marianne Berkes

Entries will close on Friday, May 24, 2013 at 12:00 Midnight CST.

To enter, complete the form below.

Winner will be emailed and announced here on the site.

Winner address information will be passed on to Sylvan Dell Publishing for mailing and will be used for no other solicitations.

Thank you to Sylvan Dell Publishing for the giveaway as well as for a review copy of The Tree That Bear Climbed by Marianne Berks!

GIVEAWAY: Little Skink's Tail by Janet Halfmann

In honor of Children's Book Week (May 13-19, 2013), I am working with Sylvan Dell Publishing to bring you an amazing giveaway of a signed copy of Little Skink's Tail by Janet Halfmann!

I was first introduced to Little Skink's Tail back in 2009.  My son and I instantly fell in love with this book, and today in 2013, it still remains a favorite for myself, my son, and now my daughter!

Let me tell you a bit about this story . . .

Little Skink is relaxing and basking in the sun when she is attacked by a crow.  To defend herself, her tail detaches from her body as she scurries away.  Little Skink misses her little blue tail, though she is thankful for being alive.  In its absence, she has fun dressing up in other animal tails, but comes to discover that she feels most comfortable in her own skin.

Now, let me tell you what I love about this tale . . .

I loved the adorable artwork by illustrator, Laurie Allen Klein.  We loved the predictability, allowing the readers to try to guess what tail will come next.  And, I love that Little Skink is a good story filled with a bit of interactive science and a very good life lesson for little ones as they search for their own independence and confidence.

You can view my original review here.

Now, for the giveaway . . .

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Open to US & Canada Residents ONLY.

Signed Copy of Little Skink's Tail by Janet Halfmann

Entries will close on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 12:00 Midnight CST.

To enter, complete the form below.

Winner will be emailed and announced here on the site.

Winner address information will be passed on to Sylvan Dell Publishing for mailing and will be used for no other solicitations.

Monday Maunder: May 13, 2013

Another short maunder this week!

ON READING

Reading was close to nonexistent this week.  I am still reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clark and I probably will be in the weeks to come as well.

What did you read this week?

ON BLOGGING

Nothing.

ON WRITING

Nothing.  I am calling Sit Down and Write 3 a bust, even if it is not yet completely over.  I have finally realized what Amateur Novelist and Michelle discovered before me -- my life is crazy right now and when I am finally done with work, I should be able to finally devote more time to my writing.  Coming to this realization has really helped me feel better about not completing anything in this category or the previous two the last couple of months.  Thank you for the help ladies!!

Have you ever had a situation like this happen to you --- a situation when someone else realizes something that you have not yet discovered?

ON LIFE

Life has been chaotic.  On the house front, we thought we had some good news this last week.  An offer was made, but was then pulled within the same afternoon due to funding issues.  Suddenly, we were back to square one again.  Surprisingly, I was okay with it!  I was not pleased with the offer and did not feel "right" about it at the time anyways.

On the work front, I am now down to only 4 days remaining!  Last week, my coworkers threw me a going-away party and the good-byes began.  I had a great time, received a wonderful gift, and left for the weekend with lots of smiles from all the love and support for my next adventure.  For the record, however . . . I really do not like to say, "Good-bye."  I much rather prefer to say, "See you later!"  This week will likely prove to be more difficult as both of these are said as my final day approaches.

On the positive side, I am really, really excited to begin this new chapter in my life.  I cannot wait for some new adventures and more time to focus/re-focus on what is really important.  I will save the rest of this for next week though, when it all begins!

What exciting news has been going on in your life?

Monday Maunder: May 6, 2013

I'm going to keep it short this week.  I don't have a lot to report and I have a to-do list that is falling off the edge of my paper!

ON READING

I finished Y:  The Last Man - Deluxe Edition Book Five by Brian K. Vaughan this week.  This happened to be the final book in the series and I really cannot wait to chat with people about this one.  I then started Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clark after a Twitter conversation about doing a read-along for the book.  You can follow the conversation at #strangeandnorrell if you so desire.  I am not far into the book, but I am enjoying the writing so far.

What are you reading this week?

ON BLOGGING

I have nothing new to report here.  Hopefully, I will be back soon with more!

ON WRITING

As I previously mentioned, I am participating in Sit Down & Write 3 at this time.  I have not been very productive thus far, but I hope to be soon.  I will post an update late this week.

If you are participating in Sit Down & Write 3, how are you doing so far?

ON LIFE

The house still has not sold.  Friday last week was the one-year anniversary of my father's death.  It was a hard day.  I have 9 days left of work.  That's the good and the bad in a nutshell.  I'm hoping to report more good than bad next week.

How was your week in a nutshell?

Sit Down & Write 3

As I mentioned earlier this week, I am participating in Sit Down & Write 3 hosted by Michelle of Stories Inside.  This little writing challenge is for any kind of writing:  reviews, blogging, fun, fiction, etc.  It runs from Wednesday, May 1 to Wednesday, May 15.

I have a long list of things to write:  freelance pieces, reviews, blog features, and I really need to quit procrastinating on my "other" writing.  Over these next two weeks, I will be working on getting as much done as I possibly can.  I am already getting a late start, so I really need to get the most out of the remaining time.  Here is a list of things that I will be working on, in very general terms, though I give you a sneak peek with a quick photo of my real list . . .

2 Freelance Articles
15 Reviews
New Feature Write-Up
Journal
Fun, Fun, Fun!!

I will try to post a check-in post about half-way through the challenge, sharing how much I am accomplishing (or not).  Until then, I write!

Will you be joining in on the writing fun?  What will you be working on?

Monday Maunder: April 29, 2013

ON READING

What a great reading week thanks to the Spring Horror Read-a-thon hosted by Michelle of Seasons of Reading!!  I posted an update on my progress earlier this week, but here is the overall stats for your enjoyment . . .

Books Read

Y:  The Last Man - Deluxe Edition Book Three by Brian K. Vaughan

Y:  The Last Man - Deluxe Edition Book Four by Brian K. Vaughan

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Total Pages Read:  1001 pages

I am very pleased with the results of my reading this week!  Now, I need to just get caught up on my writing!!

Tonight, I will be starting Y:  The Last Man - Deluxe Edition Book Five by Brian K. Vaughan, the final book in the series.  I am not sure what I will read next though.  I guess we will see what I pull blindly off my shelf!

How was your reading week?  Did you participate in any of the read-a-thons around the blogosphere this week?

ON BLOGGING

Obviously, blogging has been minimal lately.  I am hoping to pick things up in the weeks to come.  I will leave you with one thing I did post about this last week:  the schedule for Armchair BEA 2013!  I am very excited about this agenda!!

What have you been blogging about these days?

ON WRITING

Writing has been minimal as well, but I am hoping to pick this up as well.  In fact, I am hoping that Sit Down and Write 3 hosted by Michelle of Stories Inside (the one and the same as the one behind Seasons of Reading I mentioned above!).  The challenge does not start until Wednesday, May 1, so I will be back then to share with you my specific plans for the two weeks of writing.  I really need to sit down and write out a to-do list of what I want to accomplish!

Will you be joining us in the writing challenge?

ON LIFE

I am still waiting to sell my house.  Lots more people have seen the house, but still no offers.  We even held an open house, complete with fresh flowers and fresh-baked cookies.  So, we continue to wait.

This last week also marked my father's birthday ... the first one since his death.  This week will actually be the first anniversary of his death.  Needless to say, these two weeks have been and will continue to be difficult.  It is the very reason I want to get lost in my reading and writing.  Though, I have taken a day of vacation for this day and will be doing something to remember him by.  I haven't decided what yet because I am not geographically close to my family, but I will figure something out.

Lastly, I continue to countdown to my last day of work.  With the vacation day that I am taking this week, it brings me to 13 days left of work.  Woohoo!  This is my positive this week!!

What were the highs and lows of your week?  

Spring Into Horror Read-A-Thon: Mid-Week Check-In

As I mentioned earlier this week in my Monday Maunder, I am participating in the Spring Into Horror Read-A-Thon hosted by Michelle of Seasons of Reading.  You can probably tell that I'm not getting much writing done around here this week, but I am getting some amazing reading done.  I think I may be coming out of this reading slump with a vengeance!  Let me expand on what I have actually accomplished . . . 

I have finished TWO books . . . 

Y:  The Last Man - Deluxe Edition Book Three by Brian K. Vaughn

Y:  The Last Man - The Deluxe Edition Book Four by Brian K. Vaughn

I also have started reading . . . 

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

For my overall stats . . .

Books Read:  2

Pages Read:  641

I am definitely pleased with these results so far!  I can't wait to see how the second half of the read-a-thon goes!

How are you doing with reading this week, whether you are participating in the read-a-thon or not?

Monday Maunder: April 22, 2013

ON READING

This week has been MUCH better in the reading category!  I finally finished A Tale of Time City by Diana Wynne Jones.  Then, I started and finished Kingdom Keepers VI:  Dark Passage by Ridley Pearson.  And, I started Y:  The Last Man Deluxe Edition Book Three by Brian K. Vaughn.

This week, I am participating in the Spring into Horror Read-a-thon, hosted by Michelle at Seasons of Reading.    Here are a few of the books that I hope to get to during the event . . .

Y:  The Last Man The Deluxe Edition Book Four by Brian K. Vaughn

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Not all of the books are really horror, but I'm pretending they are!  I also have a couple of Stephen King and John Lutz on my shelf that I would like to get to, so we will see how it goes and which ones I decide to pick up this week!

What are you planning on reading?  Are you read-a-thoning it this week, too?

ON BLOGGING

Blogging has been poor here lately.  I have been working to get things scheduled for both Armchair BEA and Book Bloggers International.  This week, I plan to devote my time to reviews in between my masses of reading.  I have neglected Tif Talks Books for far too long!!

How do I choose which books to review first?  Do you have any special requests of the books that I've read so far this year?

ON WRITING

Another week of nothing here, but hoping that will change very soon!

ON LIFE

My life is still pretty much all about selling my house.  Last week, I had the numbers just a tad bit off.  The adjusted and updated numbers this week:  26 days on the market, 17 showings, 0 offers.  I continue to impatiently wait as my anxiety begins to increase.  I continue to wait for that perfect person to see my house and give me an offer that I can't refuse.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that it comes soon!

And, on a positive note, I have 20 days remaining of work (not counting the weekends).  I am very excited for that last day to come and what may come afterwards!

What has been going on in your life lately?  Anything exciting?

Monday Maunder: April 15, 2013

ON READING

Sadly, I am STILL reading A Tale of Time City by Diana Wynne Jones.  Don't get me wrong . . . it's a good book.  I just have had VERY little reading time this month.  I can't believe it!  I am hoping to finally finish it this week, but there is no guarantee at this time.  I NEED my reading time for my mental health!

I'm planning on participating in the Spring Into Horror Read-a-thon next week to help in jump-starting my reading back to normal.  I have not yet decided which books to read for it.  I think I am going to wait and see where this week takes me and decide from there.  You can expect to see my plan here next week!

How is your reading these days?  Will you be participating in any upcoming read-a-thons?

ON BLOGGING

I posted a review this last week ... finally!!  In case you missed it, check out my thoughts on Y:  The Last Man (Deluxe Editions Book One & Two) by Brian K. Vaughn.

In addition to that one review, I have been working on a couple of other blogging projects:  Book Bloggers International and Armchair BEA!  In fact, registration just opened for the latter, so be sure to click on over and get registered!!  I've got a few things yet to do for each of these, and then I'm back to focusing on reviews and bookish chatter here again!

What blogging projects have you been working on these days?

ON WRITING

My writing is also back with a little piece over at Walrus Publishing:  Ridley Pearson Releases Kingdom Keepers VI!  (Side note:  GREAT series that I highly recommend!)  It is not a lot, but I am celebrating my writing successes these days, since they are so few and far between.

What have been some of your recent writing successes?

ON LIFE

This last week, I celebrated another birthday!  That was the highlight of my week, including my gift of the movie, The Hobbit!!

This week will be the start of my month countdown to the last day of work, something I am really looking forward to!  It is time to move on and I am really looking forward to my next adventures ... whatever they may be!

For those who are wanting the details of the house drama, today marks my house being on the market for 17 days.  We have now had 11 showings with 0 offers.  I (im)patiently wait!

Lastly, I close this week's maunder with a comment on today's tragic events in Boston.  My heart goes out to all those affected and I will be keeping you all in my thoughts.  

Y: The Last Man (The Deluxe Edition Books One & Two) by Brian K. Vaughn

The Deluxe Edition: Book One 

Meet Yorick. He is a college graduate with an English major, currently looking for a job. He enjoys little magic tricks and he is a new owner of a monkey that he fondly named Ampersand. He is about to propose to his girlfriend, but a world-wide genocide is about to occur leaving Yorick and Ampersand to be the only living males on Earth. In other words, a world-wide GENDERCIDE.

Yorick disguises himself to survive. He discovers that some women are happy that the men are gone, and some are willing to do anything to keep it that way. His mother, a US Senator, is thrown into the politics of trying to keep the country alive and the democracy together. On the other hand, his sister Hero, finds herself in a new world that she does not understand and an essential part of an extremist group. He also meets Agent 355 and Dr. Mann, two women that are hoping to find some answers to the deaths and to find a solution for the country. As these latter two travel across the country with the remaining males, they face a multitude of difficulties, from surviving Yorick’s sorry attempts at literary wit to staying alive.

The Deluxe Edition: Book Two 

Yorick continues his journey across the country with Agent 355 and Dr. Mann, facing more difficulties along the way, including a face-off with his very own sister. Obstacles are found around every corner, the party becomes a target for many groups, but there may also be hope for "man"kind.

Y: The Last Man is a graphic novel that was originally recommended to me by a friend. It was a series that I had never heard of before, but immediately fell into the story. Vaughn brings us characters that appall us, annoy us, and leave us wondering. However, he also keeps me turning the pages at his profound idea of a “gendercide” and just how important both men and women are to our society today in so many different ways. Yorick himself is a bit overconfident, getting himself into trouble more often then his comrades would like, but he is also witty and honest. He has me giggling throughout the books, yet thankful that this is the man that survived.

I look forward to reading the rest of the series in the near future. The ending of the second book leaves the reader filled with both anxiety and hope, and I simply cannot wait to find out what happens next.

Have you experienced Vaughn’s gendercide yet? What do you think about Yorick, his monkey, and his tale?