Tag Archives: Book At The Door

Beloved by Toni Morrison and August Book at the Door Winner

And the winner is…I won a Book at the Door with Behind the Willows

sitaranair95!

Her very own copy of Beloved by Toni Morrison, as well as a print of this first line art work by Abbie of Sidereal Catalyst, will soon be finding it’s way overseas to her!

"124 was spiteful."

“124 was spiteful.”

This was the first beautiful book about ugly things I ever read.

I love it for the way it takes the lives of escaped and freed slaves and tells their horrifying stories in a cadence that is lyrical and in words that are part poetry. And I will always love it as the first real “adult” book that I was able to see that the phrases and words often had meaning far beyond the lines on the paper.

Stories are told to be remembered, even the ones, especially the ones, that are hard to hear. In the twenty years since I first read this book, phrases have popped into my mind from time to time, lyrical, beautiful phrases of terrible things.

This is a story to be remembered.

Would I recommend it? Yes. I know it was made into a movie many years ago, I’ve never seen it but I did just watch the trailer. Don’t do that. Don’t watch the trailer. Don’t see the movie. At least not until after you’ve read the book. And if you have already seen the movie, (it has been out for almost 20 years) read the book anyway. Movies can’t do beautiful-ugly the same way books can.

 

The Book at the Door winner was chosen using a random number generator from http://www.random.org 

Artists of all kinds (Yes, you photographers and you who says you can’t draw and you who just wants to practice hand lettering and you who is selling paintings online and…all of you!) if you are interested in providing a small piece of work that includes a first sentence I would love to hear from you!  

Authors, have I read your book and tagged it as a recommended read? Would you like to donate a hard copy? Let me know! 

Book At The Door: August Giveaway

I’ve got a book here.  It’s been read once or twice but not yet lost it’s shine. It’s a book I’ve loved for years, loved so well I have my own copy in a special place on the shelf.  But this book, still with it’s shine on, is begging to be read and I love to share the books I have loved. Which brings us to the big question…

Would you like it?

Book at the Door

If further incentive is what you need here, art work courtesy of Abbie, is the first line.

"124 was spiteful."

“124 was spiteful.”

Are you intrigued? I hope so. This one has been a long time favorite of mine. If you’d like the book, just do a bit of googling (unless you know that line as well as I do) and leave the name of the book in the comments. If you are the winner I will send you not only one of my all time favorite books but a print of Abbie’s artwork as well.

Now if you are thinking “That sounds great but who is this Abbie person?” let me help you out…

While it’s true that Abbie is a published writer and poet, I met her along her blogging journey on  Sidereal Catalyst. There she often writes about her personal journey with depression and anxiety and there you will also find that she is the fiercest mental health advocate.  This passion of her’s inspired her to start the mental health resource, Depression: Catalyst for Change. You can also find Abbie on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Go on, pop on over to her corner of the internet and say hello.  Just come back and leave a comment with the book title so your name makes it into the hat for the drawing!

Contest will be open through August 23rd.

The winner will have the honor of receiving a quality print of  Abbie’s artwork in the mail as well as the book.

Artists of all kinds (Yes, you photographers and you who says you can’t draw and you who just wants to practice hand lettering and you who is selling paintings online and…all of you!) if you are interested in providing a small piece of work that includes a first sentence, I would love to hear from you!  

Authors, have I read your book and tagged it as a recommended read? Would you like to donate a hard copy? Let me know! 

DomesticatedMomster

Sack Nasty by Ra Avis and July Book at the Door Winner

And the winner is…I won a Book at the Door with Behind the Willows

… A Mouse!

She correctly identified this month’s book as Sack Nasty by Ra Avis and will have a copy of the book and the first line art mailed to her. What a lucky mouse!

As a Book at the Door feature I, of course, recommend you read this book too.  And, as always, I believe you can use the first line to get a feel for what’s in store for you.

"They say she is property."

“They say she is property.”

“They say she is property.” starts this compilation of poems.

That’s not just any run of the mill first line. That’s a sentence that demands your attention. That’s the kind of beginning that can give a person chills. Those are the kind of words that once they have your attention may not be kind to you. And that’s the kind of thought that betrays a glimmer of hope hiding behind it.

Which is all exactly what you should expect when reading these stories from the author’s time in prison.

Attention grabbing, powerful poems that wring your heart, make you consider things that you, perhaps, wish not to, and show some of the darkest sides of human nature right along side the light. And that is why, when asked…

…Would I recommend it? The answer is – Yes.

Once you have read these poems, or perhaps even before, check out The Women’s Prison Book Project because, sometimes, there are little things we can do to make a difference.

The Book at the Door winner was chosen using a random number generator from http://www.random.org 

Artists of all kinds (Yes, you photographers and you who says you can’t draw and you who just wants to practice hand lettering and you who is selling paintings online and…all of you!) if you are interested in providing a small piece of work that includes a first sentence I would love to hear from you!  

Authors, have I read your book and tagged it as a recommended read? Would you like to donate a hard copy? Let me know! 

Book At The Door: July Giveaway

I’ve got a brand new book here and I’d really like to mail it to someone.

Would you like it?

1

I believe that the first page, paragraph and even sentence of a book will give you a feel for what it contains.

This months book is no exception:

"They say she is property."

“They say she is property.”

 

This month’s signboard art was made by Ra. Do you know Ra yet? You should, I mean, she lives on the internet, is basically a dinosaur and she (probably) loves you. This kind of magical being doesn’t come along everyday, you don’t want to miss out on a connection like that. Go visit her at Rarasaur.com, say “Hey”, and tell her Jessie sent you. Then, if you like this signboard, you should see all the others she’s put together! Don’t worry, it’s easy.  Just find rarasaur on instagram. Of course if you are already on Instagram looking at sign boards, you should probably take a peek at Ra herself.  And I’ll give you a teeny hint about this month’s book… shhh don’t tell but Ra wrote it! I know! An internet-living, book-writing, people-loving dinosaur, what are you waiting for? Go meet her!

Then, come back, leave me a comment, tell me the name of her book and you’ll automatically be entered to win a copy of her brand new book and a print of the first line art.

 

Contest will be open through July 26th

Winner will have the honor of receiving a quality print of  Ra’s signboard in the mail as well as the book.

Artists of all kinds (Yes, you photographers and you who says you can’t draw and you who just wants to practice hand lettering and you who is selling paintings online and…all of you!) if you are interested in providing a small piece of work that includes a first sentence I would love to hear from you!  

Authors, have I read your book and tagged it as a recommended read? Would you like to donate a hard copy? Let me know! 

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen and Book At The Door Winner

The June winner of the Book at the Door giveaway is…

I won a Book at the Door with Behind the Willows

 

Phrogmom! 

Phrogmom will get this book sent in the mail to her…

… as well as this artwork containing the first sentence of Garden Spells created for us by Mr. Tookles!

"Every smiley moon, without fail, Claire dreamed of her childhood."

“Every smiley moon, without fail, Claire dreamed of her childhood.”

Congratulations Phrogmom and thanks again Mr. Tookles!

This is an older book but I read it for the first time in September when I posted this review. I still love it, I still tell people about it and I still think you all should read it!

I fell in love with this book.

I had grand plans for a review that would talk about magic and fantasy and why you shouldn’t flinch from a book that includes either one. I was going to link to an awesome post (Thoughts on Pratchett) and it was going to be epic and amazing.

But then, instead of sitting down and writing all that, I spent my time telling people about it. Solicited and unsolicited, at family gatherings and in e-mails at foolish times of the night I told everyone the same thing.

There is magic in this book, but just the perfect amount. The amount that brings extra vividness to a story about family. It’s beautiful writing and you’ve got to read it.

And, really, that’s all that needs to be said.

Would I recommend it? Yes! And then I’d recommend First Frost and The Sugar Queen and all the rest of her books! (But Garden Spells and it’s sequel First Frost are still my favorite.)

Book at the Door winner was chosen using a random number generator from http://www.random.org 

Artists of all kinds (Yes, you photographers and you who says you can’t draw and you who just wants to practice hand lettering and you who is selling paintings online and…all of you!) if you are interested in providing a small piece of work that includes a first sentence I would love to hear from you!  

Authors, have I read your book and tagged it as a recommended read? Would you like to donate a hard copy? Let me know! 

 

Introducing Book Bee

Meet Book Bee!

I know, I know, she does look a bit like she might have a long-haired guinea pig or perhaps even a bit of Yorkie in her lineage but we love her for it.

Book Bee (a gift from some fabulous, fellow bloggers you can meet here, here and here) mostly lives on Instagram. She likes to read books with me and share a few of the good ones that don’t make it onto the blog as book reviews.

She’s also very involved in the Book at the Door giveaway. The Book at the Door giveaway (just in case you missed it, or saw this month’s entry, which unfortunately makes it about as clear as mud) is a new monthly feature here. Once a month an artist will create a piece that includes the first line in a book that I have read and loved. All you have to do is comment on the post, telling me the name of the book so I know you want to be in the drawing and then, if you win, you get a print of the artist’s work and the book sent to you in the mail!

That’s right, actual mail, actual printed art and actual hard copy books. It’s a thing that makes both Book Bee and I very excited!

The Instagram link is hanging out over there in the sidebar. You don’t need an account to scroll through photos.  You can always click on her little fuzzy picture if you are curious what she’s reading now!

June’s Book at the Door giveaway with amazing art by Mr. Tookles is open through Tuesday! Come throw your name in the hat before Book Bee tries to keep it for herself! 

Book at the Door: June Giveaway

I’ve got a great book.

Would you like it?Book at the Door

Not only do I have here a great hardcover book that I recently fell head over heels for, but it begins with this magical first line:

"Every smiley moon, without fail, Claire dreamed of her childhood."

“Every smiley moon, without fail, Claire dreamed of her childhood.”

One of my favorite parts about this particular book is that it contains a hint of magic. Just enough to bring a little extra vividness to a beautiful family story without delving too far into the fantastical.  Now, just look at that piece done by the talented Mr Tookles.  Doesn’t it capture the feeling perfectly!?!

Do you know Mr Tookles? Well, actually Mr. Tookles is a green robot bank owned by the woman behind this magical painting, a 33 year old Dutch-Surinamese-Indian woman who says it’ll be alright if we call her Madhawi today. (Pronounced as ma-the-we.)

You can see more of her amazing work on her new website mrtookles.com. Madhawi’s website is still pretty new but I’m sure it will fill up fast because, as she says, ” I started drawing from a very young age and never really stopped. Creating to me is just as necessary as eating and breathing.”
If you’d like this magical combo (A print of this first line art and the book) to show up on your doorstep, just leave me a comment! Let me know what book it is I’m giving away this month (go ahead use the google magic) or let me know your favorite magical book, and I’ll enter you in the drawing!
Don’t forget to pay Madhawi a visit! Tell her about your favorite shoes and robots (she loves those) and say “Hi!” from me! (Psst! You can find her on Instagram too! https://www.instagram.com/mr.tookles/)

Contest will be open through June 28th.

Winner will have the honor of receiving a quality print of Madhawi’s artwork in the mail as well as the book.

Artists of all kinds (Yes, you photographers and you who says you can’t draw and you who just wants to practice hand lettering and you who is selling paintings online and…all of you!) if you are interested in providing a small piece of work that includes a first sentence I would love to hear from you!  

Authors, have I read your book and tagged it as a recommended read? Would you like to donate a hard copy? Let me know! 

The Gunslinger by Stephen King and Book at the Door Winner

The May winner of the Book at the Door giveaway is…I won a Book at the Door with Behind the Willows

Crystin Goodwin!  (Who, I might add, has released the latest in her Blessings of Myrillia series recently and while I’ll shamefully admit I haven’t yet read Ice Blessed I’m certainly going to because UnBlessed and Fire Blessed were oh so very good!)

Crystin will get both a copy of Stephen Kings, The Gunslinger and A. Mouse’s first line art mailed to her door! Thanks for playing Crystin and thanks again to the talented Mouse for her artwork!

"The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed." -Stephen King

“The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed.” -Stephen King

As for The Gunslinger I know the name Stephen King brings horror to mind and that puts a large number of people off. I certainly can’t tell you there isn’t an aspect of horror to this book. But I, who hardly ever reads horror, at least on purpose, still recommend it.

The Gunslinger is the first of seven books in The Dark Tower series. ( I did mention epic fantasy in the first post right?) And I know those words, “epic fantasy” put another slew of people off, but this isn’t epic fantasy like I’ve ever encountered before. There is world building, and then there is what King did. He created a story that wove a tapestry around most of his stories, and people.  And since the guy has written a lot of books – it’s mind blowing. But, you don’t need to have extensive knowledge of his books in order to enjoy this one. In fact I would say it’s hard to appreciate the world building as you read through the series, because his (horrifically) good writing makes it too easy to get swept away in the drama, the cadence of a slightly different way of speech and the unfolding adventure. It’s not until later ,when the book is set down, that you can roll it all over in your mind and marvel at the scope of it all.

Would I recommend it? Yes. Even if you think it’s not your thing, give it a try, you might be surprised.

 

 

Book at the Door winner was chosen using a random number generator from http://www.random.org 

Artists of all kinds (Yes, you photographers and you who says you can’t draw and you who just wants to practice hand lettering and you who is selling paintings online and…all of you!) if you are interested in providing a small piece of work that includes a first sentence I would love to hear from you!  

Authors, have I read your book and tagged it as a recommended read? Would you like to donate a hard copy? Let me know! 

Book at the Door: May Giveaway

I’ve got a book.

Would you like it?

Book at the Door

Of course you would!

Because not only do I have a book for you, but I also have a bit of artwork done by my favorite mouse.

IMG_20160505_054447

Have you met Mouse yet? She and her friend Fox can be found on Instagram hiking, creating and having fun. I’m thrilled she took the time to help out with the first line art for this month’s book.

As for this month’s book, it’s the first book in one of my very favorite epic fantasy series.  A series written by an author I usually steer clear of because his imagery is so excellent in a terrible, horrible sort of way that it not only gives me nightmares but daymares too. But, for this series, I made an exception and urge you to make one as well.

Here is the first line:

"The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed."

“The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed.”

 

Do you know the line? Does it give you a touch of the chills like it does me?

Leave a comment and let me know the name of the book (You are already online,  go ahead, Google it!)  or let me know your favorite epic fantasy and I’ll put your name in the hat for the drawing. Then be sure and bop over to Mouse’s cozy little nest on the internet, (mousetalks.wordpress.com) and give her a wave hello, check out her lovely writing and maybe leave a piece of cheese if you are feeling extra generous!

Who knows, maybe this book and Mouse’s art will be arriving on your doorstep!

Contest will be open through May 24th.

Winner will have the honor of receiving a quality print of Mouse’s hand letting artwork in the mail as well as the book.

Artists of all kinds (Yes, you photographers and you who says you can’t draw and you who just wants to practice hand lettering and you who is selling paintings online and…all of you!) if you are interested in providing a small piece of work that includes a first sentence I would love to hear from you!  

Authors, have I read your book and tagged it as a recommended read? Would you like to donate a hard copy? Let me know! 

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley and Book at the Door Winner

This month’s Book at the Door winner is… I won a Book at the Door with Behind the Willows

… Jenny from Life with Three Boys and a Splash of Purple!

Jenny correctly identified the first line of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and will get a copy of the book and the first line art mailed to her!

I still highly recommend you find your own copy of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.

While the book starts out dire…

"It was as black in the closet as old blood. "

“It was as black in the closet as old blood. “

…it quickly becomes apparent that the eleven year old girl locked in the closet has been stuffed there by her sisters.

Flavia is no ordinary eleven year old though. No, she’s a grand chemist with a passion for poisons and when she’s not conducting experiments she’s busy solving murders and harassing adults with her precociousness.

Would I recommend it? Of course! I’d also recommend that you then look for the next one in the series.  There are seven adventures with Flavia published (with an eighth to come out later this year) and I have loved them all!

Book at the Door winner was chosen using a random number generator from http://www.random.org 

Artists of all kinds (Yes, you photographers and you who says you can’t draw and you who just wants to practice hand lettering and you who is selling paintings online and…all of you!) if you are interested in providing a small piece of work that includes a first sentence I would love to hear from you!  

Authors, have I read your book and tagged it as a recommended read? Would you like to donate a hard copy? Let me know!