I'm a little late to the party this week, but that's okay!  The Book Blogger Hop is in full swing and I'm joining in the fun.  You can, too—just go to Crazy For Books to get all the details.  It's a good ole time, a great opportunity to find awesome new blogs and spread the word about yours.

This week's question is:

What is your favorite thing about blogging?

- Easy.  For me, it's all about mingling with other book lovers.  I love talking about what I'm reading, my favorite authors, what's new in the book world, etc. with other people who get it ('cause, you know, not everyone does).  It's just a whole lot of fun for me.  Because of this blog, I've gotten to "meet" tons of readers, authors, bloggers, publicists, booksellers—both in the virtual world and the real one.  I learn something from each and everyone one of you.  What's not to love about that?

What about you?  What's your favorite part of blogging?

If this is your first visit to BBB, welcome!  I'm so glad you're here.  Take a look around, leave me a comment (or two or three or ten) and I'll definitely return the favor.  If you've been lurking around this joint for awhile now, thank you!  Your support means so much to me.  

Have a wonderful weekend, everybody!  I'm going to be spending the next few hours watching my daughter get her hair braided, then I'll be back to do some hopping.  See y'all soon.     

Like most bloggers, I get my fair share of requests to review different products and services.  I turn down the majority of them since evaluating sunglasses or diapers or whatever isn't really consistent with what I'm trying to do here at BBB.  However, when I get an offer to try something cool and bookish, well, I'm all over it.

Naturally, then, I was thrilled to hear from Livrada, a new company that sells e-book gift cards.  These are physical cards sold at brick and mortar stores, each of which is good for the redemption of one e-book.  Like a traditional book, each card features beautiful cover art and a plot summary for the novel it represents.  The e-books are easily downloaded to all Kindle and Nook devices.  Currently, the cards are being sold at Target and are available for the following titles:  State of Wonder by Ann Patchett; Fifty Shades of Gray by E.L. James; Odd Thomas by Dean R. Koontz; Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn; The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson; and 44 Charles Street by Danielle Steele.  They're fun, personal gifts that are perfect for the booklovers in your life.

The generous folks at Livrada gave me a choice of titles.  I selected Odd Thomas.  Redeeming the gift card and downloading the e-book to my Kindle Fire was just as quick and easy as promised.  I haven't had a chance to read the novel yet, but I will soon.

So, as much as I enjoyed using my gift card, I'm not sure I would actually buy one.  Why?  Well, unless I knew a person's reading tastes really, really well and knew exactly which books they did/did not have, I would be hesitant to give them a title-specific gift card.  A generic e-card to say, Amazon, wouldn't be as personal, but it would be more practical, you know?  I would be much more likely to go that route.  I'm also not sure about how the pricing works.  I went to my local Target the other night to do a little research and couldn't find the gift cards anywhere, not in the book section, not in the gift card section, nowhere, so there also appears to be an availability problem.  At any rate, I think Livrada's come up with a fun concept.  I'm just not sure it's going to catch on all that well.  What do you think?      

I've tried about a dozen times to write an adequate plot summary for The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield, but I just can't get it right.  I'm thinking the simpler the better for this book, so here's the short-and-sweet description that appears on Barnes & Noble and Amazon:

Every first Sunday in June, members of the Moses clan gather for an annual reunion at a sprawling hundred-acre farm in Arkansas. And every year, Samuel Lake, a vibrant and committed young preacher, brings his beloved wife, Willadee Moses, and their three children back for the festivities. In the midst of it all, Samuel and Willadee’s outspoken eleven-year-old daughter, Swan, is a bright light. Her high spirits and fearlessness have alternately seduced and bedeviled three generations of the family. But just as the reunion is getting under way, tragedy strikes, jolting the family to their core and setting the stage for a summer of crisis and profound change. 

The plot of the novel is difficult to describe, probably because there isn't much of one, especially not at the beginning of the book.  In fact, yesterday, I was reading it while waiting for the dentist to examine my teeth.  I was about 100 pages into the story when he asked me what The Homecoming of Samuel Lake was about.  My response?  "Um, hm, now that you mention it, I have no idea."  Which isn't to say the tale isn't interesting.  It is.  It's just that the author takes her time setting the stage for the main conflict of the story (which doesn't present itself until around Page 150).  With a less skilled writer, this could have been a problem.  But, Wingfield's lush, tantalizing prose charmed me so much that I almost forgot about plot altogether (until my dentist reminded me, that is).  Also, because the author gives the reader time to really get to know her characters before abusing them with savage plot twists, the reader cares and cares deeply about what happens to them.  The book's finale is an excellent case in point—I sobbed through the majority of the last 100 pages, because by then, the Moses Family felt like my own kin, their tragedies seemed like my own.  The Homecoming of Samuel Lake isn't a perfect book, mind you, but it's one of those you'll-laugh-you'll-cry-you'll-jeer-you'll-cheer kind of stories, the kind that touches your heart and makes you believe that no matter how much ugliness exists in this world, it will always be trumped by the beauty that lives here, too.     

(Note:  Although this review will not contain spoilers for Bones Are Forever by Kathy Reichs, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from earlier books in the Temperance Brennan series.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

Forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan is used to dealing with grisly crime scenes.  It's part of her job.  But, when she finds three dead infants hidden in the walls of a rundown apartment in Montreal, she can hardly stand it.  Tempe's shocked, horrified and filled with an anger so hot she can barely see straight.  What kind of monster kills babies?  Was it the children's mother?  If so, why?  What could possibly have driven her to do such a horrific thing and not once, but thrice?  Tempe cannot even begin to imagine the answers, so she does what she does best:  she reads the bones.

Based on evidence Tempe discovers, police track the mother to Yellowknife, an isolated diamond-mining community deep in the Northwest Territories.  Tempe's invited along for the manhunt.  The last thing on Earth she wants to find is more tiny corpses, but she's determined to bring the babies' killer to justice. Tempe needs to focus on the case, but travelling with two former lovers makes concentration a bit difficult.  The situation is awkward enough:  Tempe's working with Detective Andrew Ryan, her sexy on-again-off-again (currently off) boyfriend and Ollie Hasty, a sergeant with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police with whom Tempe had a long-ago dalliance.  The men's constant bickering only adds to the tension—sexual and otherwise—already crackling between the three.

As the case gets even more complicated, Tempe finds herself embroiled in a mess that involves not just dead babies, but also prostitutes, drug dealers, the lucrative diamond business and, of course, a cold-blooded killer.  The closer she gets to the truth behind the infants' deaths, the closer she comes to unmasking the murderer.  And becoming his/her next victim.

It's no secret that I'm a huge Kathy Reichs fan.  Ever since reading Deja Dead, the first novel in her popular Temperance Brennan series (which inspired the hit tv series Bones, by the way, although you really don't want to get me started on that ...), I've been hooked.  Tempe's a smart, funny heroine with an admirable passion for her work.  I love her character as well as the way Reichs makes forensic anthropology accessible for those of us whose only background in the science is the hundreds of hours we've logged watching CSI.

As much as I love the series, though, I have to admit it has—at times—lagged a little.  Well, no more!  Bones Are Forever (available August 28, 2012), the 15th Temperance Brennan book, just may be the very best.  With a unique locale, an intriguing mystery and a whole lot of sparks zinging between one of my favorite literary couples, the novel kept me thoroughly engrossed and wholly entertained.  Bones Are Forever injects new life into one of my favorite series, reminding me just how much I adore Kathy Reichs.  I seriously cannot wait to see where she takes Tempe next.

(Readalikes:  Other books in the Temperance Brennan series, including Deja Dead; Death du Jour; Deadly Decisions; Fatal Voyage; Grave Secrets; Bare Bones; Monday Mourning; Cross Bones; Break No Bones; Bones to Ashes; Devil Bones; 206 Bones; Spider Bones; and Flash and Bones)

Grade:  B

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  R for strong language, sexual innuendo, violence and adult situations

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of Bones Are Forever from the generous folks at Scribner (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) via Edelweiss.  Thank you!   

It's Friday and you know what that means here in book bloggerland—it's time to hop!  This is my favorite weekly event because it's just a good ole time.  I love finding new book blogs to follow.  It's always fun to see what's going on on other blogs and to see what books everyone's recommending.  If you want to join up (and you really should), click on over to Crazy For Books to get all the details.

This week's question is:

What is the one genre you will NEVER read?

- Easy—I'll never read erotica.  Ever.  There are other genres I shy away from (poetry, comic books, textbook-ish non-fiction, etc.), but, if a book in those genres sounded intriguing enough, I would still pick it up.  Not so with erotica.  When I say never, I mean never.  

What about you? 

If this is your first time visiting BBB, welcome!  I'm so excited you're here.  Please take a look around, make a comment (or two or three or ten) and, most of all, enjoy yourself.  I'll definitely return the favor.  If you're an old follower, a thousand thanks for your support of my blog.  I love writing it and it makes me happy to know that other people enjoy it, too.

Have a great weekend, everybody.  Happy reading!  

... Peter Hansen.  Congratulations!  If you'll shoot me an email (blogginboutbooksATgmailDOTcom) with your snail mail address, I'll get the book out to you ASAP.

Thanks to all who entered the giveaway.  If you didn't win this time, hang in there, I'll have more books to give away soon.

It's Friday again and, since my favorite book blogging party is back (Yay!), I'll definitely be taking part.  If you haven't heard of the Book Blogger Hop, click over to Crazy For Books to get all the details.  It's a fabulous way to discover exciting new book blogs and to help others find yours.  I love spreading the book blogging love every week.  So.  Much.  Fun.

This week's question is: Who is your go-to author when you are in a reading rut?

- Honestly, when people talk about reading ruts, I have no idea what they're going on about.  A reading rut? Isn't that like an oxymoron or something?  I never get tired of reading.  Never.  Are there times when I get a little cranky after reading a bunch of mediocre books in a row?  Sure.  When that happens, I do turn to some old favorites.  These folks can always reignite my reading passion when it starts to burn a little dim:  Kathy Reichs, Jodi Picoult, Neal Shusterman, Maeve Binchy (Just read on her website that Maeve Binchy died less than two weeks ago.  How did I miss this news?  Sad day for her fans, of which I am definitely one.), L.A. Meyer, Joanne Harris, Patrick Ness, Brandon Sanderson, Robyn Carr, and the list goes on and on and on ...

How about you?  Who are your go-to authors?

If you're visiting BBB for the first time, welcome!  I'm so glad you're here.  Take a look around, leave me a comment or two (or three or four), and, most of all, enjoy the browse.  I promise to return the favor.  And, to my trusty old followers, a heartfelt thanks for your support.  Happy reading, everyone!

"Dead and still in the world was worse than dead and in the ground.  Dead in the ground at least gave you the hope of heaven" (171).

The Cove by Ron Rash is another one of those books that's proving too difficult for me to describe in my own words.  I'll give you the jacket copy instead, since it does a beautiful job:

Deep in the rugged Appalachians of North Carolina lies the cove, a dark, forbidding place where spirits and fetches wander, and even the light fears to travel.  Or so the townsfolk of Mars Hill believe—just as they know that Laurel Shelton, the lonely young woman who lives within its shadows, is a witch.  Alone except for her brother, Hank, newly returned from the trenches in France, she aches for her life to begin.

Then it happens—a stranger appears, carrying nothing but a beautiful silver flute and a note explaining that his name is Walter, he is mute, and is bound for New York.  Laurel finds him in the woods, nearly stung to death by yellow jackets, and nurses him back to health.  As the days pass, Walter slips easily into life in the cove and into Laurel's heart, bringing her the only real happiness she has ever known.

But Walter harbors a secret that could destroy everything—and danger is closer than they know.  Though the war in Europe is near its end, patriotic fervor flourishes thanks to the likes of Chauncey Feith, an ambitious young army recruiter who stokes fear and outrage throughout the county.  In a time of uncertainty, when fear and ignorance reign, Laurel and Walter will discover that love may not be enough to protect them.   

As you can probably surmise just by looking at its cover, The Cove tells a tale that's as haunting as it is heartbreaking.  Rash brings his characters and setting to such vivid life that the reader can't help feeling a part of them.  Laurel's about as sympathetic as she can possibly be—I wanted her to find happiness just as much as she did.  Her story starts out slowly, so slowly I almost put the book down.  It was Rash's lush, lyrical storytelling that kept me reading, all the way to the novel's inevitable, but still affecting, end.  All in all, I didn't love The Cove.  Still, it's worth the read, if only to experience the deft loveliness of the author's prose.

(Readalikes:  Reminded me a little of Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene and Traitor by Gudrun Pausewang)

Grade:  B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  PG-13 for language (no F-bombs), violence and some sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

I don't know if I'm the last to hear the big news or not, but the Book Blogger Hop is back in business!  Or, rather, it has returned in its original form.  Squee!  I understood why Jen had to change the Hop from a monthly thing to a weekly thing, but I was really sad about it.  My participation lagged, then stopped altogether.  A monthly meme was just too hard for me to keep up with.  But, now that it's back to weekly, I'm excited to join up again.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, let me explain:  The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly (YAY!) meme hosted by Jen over at Crazy For Books.  It's an opportunity to discover new book blogs, find new readers, and just show the love to others in this big, glorious book blogging world.  Fun, right?  If you want to join in (and, trust me, you do), you can find all the details here.

For those of you who are visiting Bloggin' 'bout Books for the first time, welcome!  I'm so glad you're here.  Please take a look around, leave me a comment (or two or three) to let me know you stopped by.  I will absolutely return the favor.  Also, check out my right sidebar—I've got two great book giveaways going on right now.  I don't have a lot of entrants, which means you have an excellent chance of winning.  So, please, enter and feel free to spread the word.

For my long-time readers, a heartfelt thank you.  Interacting with you all is what makes blogging so much fun.

Now, onto this week's question:

When a book goes “viral” (Hunger Games, Fifty Shades, Twilight), do you rush out to read it like everyone else, even if it’s not in your typical genre?

 - Not necessarily.  It really depends on what the book's about.  I don't mind reading outside my usual genres, but there are some novels that I'll never read no matter how many people rave about them (ahem, Fifty Shades).  Even if I do want to read a gone-viral novel, I won't necessarily rush right out and get it.  I'll stick it on my TBR list and get to it when I get to it.  What about you?

Happy hopping, everybody!