Blue Monday and What r u reading, plus a giveaway!

Hi there, hope you all had a great weekend. This week I am giving away two new books that I won in a giveaway from bookreporter.com... Both have blue covers of course.
1. Mennonite in the Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen


Review
“This book is not just beautiful and intelligent, but also painfully -- even wincingly -- funny. It is rare that I literally laugh out loud while I'm reading, but Rhoda Janzen's voice -- singular, deadpan, sharp-witted and honest -- slayed me, with audible results. I have a list already of about fourteen friends who need to read this book. I will insist that they read it. Because simply put, this is the most delightful memoir I've read in ages.”—Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love

“This is an intelligent, funny, wonderfully written memoir. Janzen has a gift for following her elegant prose with the perfect snarky aside. If it weren't for the weird Mennonite food, I would like very much to be her friend.”—Cynthia Kaplan, author of Why I'm Like This and Leave the Building Quickly

and
2. The Season of Second Chances by Diane Meier



Product Description
A world of possibilities opens up for Joy Harkness when she sets out on a journey that’s going to show her the importance of friendship, love, and what makes a house a home

Coming-of-age can happen at any age. Joy Harkness had built a university career and a safe life in New York, protected and insulated from the intrusions and involvements of other people. When offered a position at Amherst College, she impulsively leaves the city, and along with generations of material belongings, she packs her equally heavy emotional baggage. A tumbledown Victorian house proves an unlikely choice for a woman whose family heirlooms have been boxed away for years. Nevertheless, this white elephant becomes the home that changes Joy forever. As the restoration begins to take shape, so does her outlook on life, and the choices she makes over paint chips, wallpaper samples, and floorboards are reflected in her connection to the co-workers who become friends and friendships that deepen. A brilliant, quirky, town fixture of a handyman guides the renovation of the house and sparks Joy’s interest to encourage his personal and professional growth. Amid the half-wanted attention of the campus’s single, middle-aged men, known as “the Coyotes,”and the legitimate dramas of her close-knit community, Joy learns that the key to the affection of family and friends is being worthy of it, and most important, that second chances are waiting to be discovered within us all.
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Right now I am reading Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo, a thriller by
the author of Sworn to Silence.
5.0 out of 5 stars Be ready to stay up all night..., July 1, 2009
By Tracy L. Karol "tracylkarol.com" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

Review taken from Amazon.com
By Tracy L. Karol "tracylkarol.com" (Austin, Texas)


This review is from: Sworn to Silence (Kindle Edition)
Linda Castillo is in top form with Sworn to Silence, about a small town police chief with a hidden past, now investigating a string of truly grisly serial rapes and murders that may or may not be related to her own secret. Enter another wounded cop, a state officer Kate is desperate to keep from finding out the truth and who is on the brink of total burnout himself. Will these wounded souls solve this crime spree or become victims themselves? This and other books are reviewed on my website, some in greater length.

The secrets the Amish police chief are hiding, the burnt-out state cop -- all could be cliches if handled by a lesser writer. But as I stated, Castillo is in top form and you won't regret this page turner. I highly recommend this book for suspense, crime drama, and just enough romance to keep it interesting but not distract from the mystery. Great characters and will certainly keep you guessing.


Today I am participating in two Meme's - Blue Monday at Smiling Sally's Blog
and Sheila at One Persons Journey through a world of books.

To win the two books I mentioned in the giveaway, please post a comment letting
me know you would like to win. Also for an extra comment become a follower.
Please leave your email addy. The contest will August 28th.