giveaway flash: halloween book giveaway

Book Give-Away October 25 – November 1: for those interested in Edith and the Mysterious Stranger, leave a comment about this interview with your e-mail at http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com. U.S. and Canada.

Have you ever wondered how Halloween got started? Did you know that the Irish immigrants brought the tradition to America in the 1800s? In celebration of Halloween, I'm having a book give away for a historical romance novel. All my books are “sweet” romances for teens and adults. Listen to the video and read the sample chapter and then list one thing that grabs your attention. By the way, the excerpt doesn’t reveal who the mysterious stranger is, just in case you're wondering.

With mysterious letters, cattle rustlers, a spunky woman, the liar's fire, Halloween, and young love, there is always something happening.

sons of fortune by jeffrey archer

Title: Sons of Furtune
Author: Jeffrey Archer
Pages: 608
Rating: 5/5
Source: Personal Copy

Summary (Goodreads):

In Hartford, Connecticut, in the late 1940s, a set of twins is parted at birth-not by accident. Nat Cartwright goes home with his parents, a schoolteacher and an insurance salesman, while his twin brother begins his days as Fletcher Davenport, son of a millionaire and his society wife.

During the 1950s and 1960s, the two brothers grow up apart, following similar paths that take them in different directions. Nat leaves college at the University of Connecticut to serve in Vietnam, then finishes school, earns his MBA, and becomes a successful currency dealer. Fletcher, meanwhile, graduates from Yale University with a bachelor's and a law degree, going on to distinguish himself as a criminal defense lawyer.

At various times in their lives, both men are confronted with challenges and obstacles, tragedy and betrayal, loss and hardship, before they both decide to run for governor, unaware they are brothers.

My Thought:

It's one of his brilliant stories that I love. It has every details that you need to know but not really dragging. I was immensely absorbed with the story from the first page, as I always did whenever I read his books. It may seems boring to know a life story of two person but it certainly has an element which makes you ponder what will happen between the two of them. A separated twin- not by an accident but too many incidents involved related to them that makes you want them to meet each other and to know the whole thing that they are twins. They constantly know each others name and their family always tell them they look terribly the same and could be twins. But it wont happen until the very last minute. Until they run against each other for the governor of the state and by then, the truth will be revealed.

It is an original story and very believable. I love the twin; Nat and Fletcher, it's really a great story of two great person to achieve something good for the nation. They have fair fight and I really love the ending. Such unbelievable yet so remarkable (for me). It looks like a very predictable story but it's not. You can never think that would happen and the ending still make you wonder and think for a while who's the winner. The sensation of plot twisting will evoke such a great temptation to read it to the finish line right at that moment. I thoroughly enjoy the book and it's absolutely a page turner even though it is quite a chunkster. I finished it less in a day and I assure you Archer's spinning tale never let me down.

Note: This book review is link up to Book Review Party Wednesday at Cym Lowell Blog. Click HERE for more info.

the last song by nicholas sparks

Title: The Last Song
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Pages: 413
Rating: 4/5
Source: Borrowed

Summary (Goodreads):

Seventeen year-old Veronica “Ronnie” Miller’s life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alienated from her parents, especially her father… until her mother decides it would be in everyone’s best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie’s father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church. The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story about love in its myriad forms – first love, the love between parents and children – that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that deeply felt relationships can break our hearts… and heal them.

My Say:

Okay, a confession: I watch the movie first and I wish I hadn't. Well, blame Miley Cirus for that. I have nothing against her, really.

First of all, Ronnie is believable in the book but not that fake in the movie (Is it too harsh?). I can't blame her, maybe she needs a lot of more practice to be natural. I hate to confess, I hate her fake laugh in the movie. It sounds fake to me. Maybe it's real to you, but I just can't accept it. But otherwise, the movie is great. Every other character done their parts very well. I enjoyed it and I cried at the end of the movie but not as much as I cried when I read the book. That's it.

It's may be a same old same old writing style and everything seems to be predictable in any Nicholas Sparks books. Even though I know how it might turns out; crying, feeling sad, and fully enjoyed the love scenes in it, it never bores me and I have to say I pick it up to read at the right time. I don't want to be biased and dislike it because he serves the same thing over and over again. So, being rational I am, I love the book. Everything is so great and so well developed. There's joy, hate, cries, love and life, scrambled together which it never tires me at all.

Yes, it's predictable but every time I read any of his books, I learn about appreciating people, love and life. It works wonders and somehow it creates a great feeling after I finished reading his books. It sticks around longer in heart and I can still recall any of his books and feel the same way even though just to remember about it. For me, it's a must read.