Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol is Finally Found...

Mystery, Codes & Secrets... Found at a bookstore near you today!

Dan Brown's much-anticipated and slightly controversial follow-up to The Da Vinci Code was released today! In "The Lost Symbol," symbolist Robert Langdon is on a mission to find a Masonic pyramid containing a code that unlocks an ancient secret to "unfathomable power." It's a story of hidden history in the nation's capital.

History, ancient symbols, hidden chambers & tunnels... The Masons, a kidnapping, & a sexy girl... All of that plus our favorite Dan Brown hero, Robert Langdon, (did I also mention a terrific villain?) is what makes The Lost Symbol the book we all want to read! And with an initial printing of 5 million copies everyone should get a chance. With rave reviews, lots of press and the top ranked pre-order on Amazon.com, The Lost Symbol is destined to be a big hit...

The DaVinci Code was heaped in controversy with the Catholic Church calling it heretical, but The Lost Symbol has its own bit of controversy - the Kindle kind. Random House initially was on the fence about releasing a Kindle version of The Lost Symbol - afraid that the lower price ($9.99) for the digital version would divert sales away from hardcover sales. Fortunately for Kindle readers Random House chose to release the digital version and on the same day as the hardcover! This isn't the end of the debate about digital books either - publishers seem to feel that if people can buy the Kindle version for $9.99, no one will be buying the hardcover at $20. We've debated the Kindle versus "the paper" book here before. People, including myself, love 'real' books! What do you think? Will there be piles and piles of hardcover books collecting dust in your local bookstore all because of a little piece of plastic?

For now, though, we have a choice! Even though I love my Kindle, I bought that hefty 509 page Dan Brown book today in HARDCOVER! How about you?!

**Here's the link to the Kindle Version!

Happy reading...

The Sunday Salon... Banned Books, National Reading Group Month and some Books with Buzz!

What is the Sunday Salon? Imagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them, and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake...

As a person who loves reading, it surprises me that there are stilled banned and challenged books. Most of the time, these challenges are to protect children from inappropriate material, but in some instances, such as the challenging of Charlotte's Web by E.B. White for the "unnatural" depiction of talking animals, I am left scratching my head. All this came to mind this week after I read that the annual celebration for your Freedom of Reading was coming! Banned Books Week (BBW): Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September and has been observed each year since 1982. "This annual ALA event reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted." The American Library Association (ALA) keeps track of all challenged and banned books. The ALA believes "Frequently, challenges are motivated by the desire to protect children. While the intent is commendable this method of protection contains hazards far greater than exposure to the "evil" against which it is leveled... Individuals may restrict what they themselves or their children read, but they must not call on government or public agencies to prevent others from reading or seeing that material." I think parents should have the right to restrict what their children read and that "adult" books shouldn't be in the children's section... But taking the books off the shelf for all of us? What do you think? This year Banned Book Week is Sept.26th - Oct.3rd. I plan on reading Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger... I mention all this ahead of time, to see if you want to participate in Banned Book Week!? If you have a blog, would you like to link up that week and post about Banned Book Week, either about a particular banned or challenged book, a review of a banned or challenged book, or just talking about the books you love? Here's the ALA list of the top 100 Classic Novels that were either banned or challenged. At the bottom of the page Here you can find links to the lists of the Banned or Challenged Books for the last 5 years. Let me know if you'd like to participate, send me a link to your blog and we'll link up.

In October, The Women's National Book Association celebrates National Reading Group Month! "Reading groups are proving that good books bring people together. National Reading Group Month salutes reading groups. It fosters their growth and promotes the love of literature. It's an opportunity for reading groups to reflect on their accomplishments and plan for the future — the perfect time to join or start a group." There will be nation-wide events, and reading group recommendations. Click on the highlighted link for more info. And next month we'll talk more about reading groups and the great things we get out of them! Do you belong to a reading group? I'd love to hear about i! Don't wait until next month, let me know what you're group is all about now!

Now that I've talked about the freedom to read what you want, and mentioned about next months celebration of Reading Groups... let's talk a little about some books with buzz..

The much anticipated book by Newbery Medal winner Kate DiCamillo,The Magician's Elephant, tells the tale of Peter Augustus Duchene, a ten-year-old orphan who receives an unbelievable piece of information from the local fortuneteller. Peter learns that his fate is tied to an elephant that has inexplicably fallen from the sky when a magician's trick goes terribly wrong. A small adorable 200 page hardcover book about the size of a trade paperback, written in chapters and peppered in beautifully dark pencil drawings by well known illustrator Yoko Tanaka, has generated a lot of buzz before and after it's recent release. Kate DiCamillo is known for her wonderful tales beautifully & simply written and this should be no different. A book for children, ages 8-13, I picked up a copy of this for myself... look for the review next week!

Next book with Buzz for us women... The Invisible Mountain by Carolina De Robertis. In the author's own words she describes her book... "The Invisible Mountain traverses ninety years of Uruguayan history and culture through the eyes of three generations of women. From rural gaucho life and Italian immigrant experiences at the turn of the 20th century, to the revolutionary 60’s and the dictatorship that followed." Provocative, heartbreaking and ultimately life-affirming, The Invisible Mountain is a poignant celebration of the potency of familial love, the will to survive in the most hopeless of circumstances, and, above all, the fierce, fortifying connection between mother and daughter. I love stories with strong women and this looks like it will be a wonderful read! Not only for the story, but the writing of Carolina De Robertis is also getting high praise... I can't wait to start reading this!

And finally, I have to admit buying another book for The Japanese Literature Challenge! Gnoe who I met thru The Japanese Literature Challenge, and who has a wonderful blog called Graasland, recommended Strangers by Taichi Yamada. A haunting tale of middle-aged, jaded and divorced, TV scriptwriter Harada who returns one night to the old dilapidated downtown district of Tokyo where he grew up. There, at the theatre, he meets a man who looks exactly like his long-dead father. And so begins Harada's ordeal, as he's thrust into a reality where his parents appear to be alive at the exact age they died so many years before... Thanks Gnoe for the recommendation! Another book I am really looking forward to reading! So many books in the TBR pile!

What are you reading this week!? Any books you want to recommend? I'd love to hear about them! And don't forget about Banned Book Week! Let me know what you think!

Happy Reading.... Suzanne

Missing Sisters by Gregory Maguire... A Review

In A World Full of Surprises Alice is About to Find One...

In an orphanage in upstate NY, twelve-year-old Alice lives her life among the stern nuns that share her home. She's not like the rest of the little girls, she can't hear very well, and she has a speech impediment that makes it hard for her to talk. Sister Vincent de Paul befriends Alice and becomes her closest friend, patiently listening to her every word, trading secrets in the kitchen. Sister Vincent de Paul is a bit of a misfit herself, having a deformed foot that hinders her walking, but this just solidifies their friendship.

One day though, in a terrible accident, Sister Vincent de Paul is badly burned and whisked away. Feelings of isolation and fear fill Alice as she worries if the Sister has died. No one seems to want to talk to her about it. And in the meantime, Alice discovers that she may have a twin sister! All this confusion in Alice's life makes it so hard for her to figure out her place in the world- something that Sister Vincent de Paul would have made so much easier. Thus starts Alice's adventure to find her place in the grand scheme of things, and to find what may be her twin sister.

The novel is set in the 1960's, written with a certain amount of innocence still present in those times. There's no drugs, sex or rock & roll. Alice deals with the angst of being a teenage girl, jealousy, questions of faith (she does live in an orphanage run by Nuns), and the meaning of friendship. She longs for a family of her own and especially a mother. A sweet story that touched my heart as Alice tries to do the right things - often times going about it in the wrong way. She's sweet, smart and spunky. She doesn't let her handicaps hold her back, and in the end we see just how normal she is.

And speaking of endings... I found the ending to be a bit unsatisfying. I cried, but wanted more from it as the lights dimmed and the credits rolled... You'll see what I mean, because even though I wanted more from the ending I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it! Written as a YA novel, us 'older' girls can enjoy it too!

Happy reading... Suzanne

P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready! AND Available for Your eReader!

Giveaway: Cleopatra's Daughter AND The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran

Walk the streets of Rome with Selene... Cleopatra's Daughter

Congrats to the Winners Heidi & Hayden! Heidi won the signed copy of Cleopatra's Daughter! Hayden won the signed copy of The Heretic Queen! And a Thank you to EVERYone who joined in on the fun!

One of the most passionate and tragic love stories of all time is that of Antony & Cleopatra! As Egypt was being conquered by Octavian's Roman armies the lovers committed suicide and became immortalized for all eternity. They also left their children orphaned and in the hands of their enemy....

Michelle Moran writes Cleopatra's Daughter in the voice of Selene, the 10 year old daughter of Antony & Cleopatra. Selene is a keen observer as we are swept up in the Roman triumph over Egypt and the story of Selene and her twin brother Alexander becoming the prisoners and responsibilities of their captors, who take them back to Rome...

"Three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome, but only two—the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander—survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts"

It is a story written in such wonderful rich detail that you feel as though you are walking beside Selene as she observes her new surroundings..."Is this Rome? Selena asked. There was no Museion gleaming in the afternoon light, and the villas that hugged the vast stretches of shore were plain, without columns or ornamentation. There was nothing to distinguish one squat white building from the next except the colors of their wind-beaten shutters." Meet the historical cast of characters from the era including Octavian, the emperor of Rome, his sister Octavia, who was once married to Antony (before he left her for Cleopatra), and the poet Vergil, and even experience the building of the Pantheon. Michelle's background in archaelogy and her love of history is apparent in her writing -making Cleopatra's Daughter not a dry retelling of Egyptian/Roman history. I love historical fiction and was captivated by this book. Writing the story with Selene as narrator, gives the story an interesting viewpoint, as we get to see the wonders and horrors of this era thru the eyes of a young girl- something us girls can relate to!

"Selene’s narrative is animated by the concerns of a young girl in any time and place —the possibility of finding love, the pull of friendship and family, and the pursuit of her

unique interests and talents... Based on meticulous research, Cleopatra’s Daughter is a fascinating portrait of Imperial Rome and of the people and events of this glorious and tumultuous period in human history. Emerging from the shadows of history, Selene, a young woman of irresistible charm and preternatural intelligence, will capture your heart."

About Michelle...

Michelle majored in English at Pomona College. Following a summer in Israel where she worked as a volunteer archaeologist, she earned an MA from the Claremont Graduate University. Michelle has traveled around the world, from Zimbabwe to India, and her experiences at archaeological sites were what inspired her to write historical fiction. A public high school teacher for six years,

Michelle Moran is currently a full-time writer living in California with her husband. She is the author of the bestselling historical fiction Nefertiti and its stand alone sequel, The Heretic Queen.

A few insights into Michelle...

How long did it take you to get published?

My first attempt at getting published was in seventh grade, when I was twelve. So I guess I can say it took me fifteen years. I had written a full length book that was probably pathetic but everyone praised it and my father hailed it as the Next Great American Novel.

Where are some of your favorite places to travel?

France tops my list, and I mean anywhere in France. Paris, the Riviera, Normandy, Saint Symphorien, the Languedoc region. Then Italy, particularly Venice, and finally Vienna in Austria. I could live in any of those places easily, and someday probably will.

If you weren't a writer what would you want to be?

A teacher. I taught in a public high school for six years and nothing could be more rewarding than exposing young adults to historical fiction and many other kinds of reading and writing. Many people talk about teaching with an abundance of clichés. You can change lives, you can open doors, you can etc etc. But for me, those clichés were all true.

If you love historical fiction, do not miss reading Cleopatra's Daughter! Or Michelle's other books, Nefertiti, The sweeping story of a powerful Egyptian family telling the tale of two sisters, the first of whom is destined to rule as one of history’s most fascinating queens, and The Heretic Queen, In ancient Egypt, a forgotten princess must overcome her family’s past, and remake history. Want to learn more about Michelle and her books? Here's the LINK to her website! Cleopatra's Daughter will be released on Sept.15th! You can become a Literary Archaeologist that day and search the shelves of some independent bookstores for some prizes! Find out how at Michelle's website HERE!

But wait! Not only is Michelle a wonderful writer, she's also a generous one! She is going to

give away a signed hardcover copy of Cleopatra's Daughter to a lucky reader of Chick with Books! AND a signed paperback copy of The Heretic Queen to another lucky reader! The book will come directly from Michelle and she say's she'll ship it ANYwhere in the world! So that means all you international readers of Chick with Books can join in on the fun too!

Here's the Giveaway Details...

Since we are giving away a copy of Cleopatra's Daughter AND a copy of The Heretic Queen, I'm going to randomly pick TWO names for this giveaway!

First name picked will receive the signed copy of Cleopatra's Daughter in hardcover, second name picked will receive the signed copy of The Heretic Queen in paperback!

To Enter this Giveaway..

*For one entry leave me a comment with your email address!

*Get an extra entry for following my blog! Just leave a comment letting me know you're a follower! ( Not a follower yet? No problem, sign up by clicking on the 'followers" button! Just let me know you became a new follower!)

*For another entry Blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link.

This giveaway is open to EVERYONE! As long as Michelle can send a book to you - you can join in on the fun! Contest ends 11:59 pm EST on Sept. 26th. I'll randomly pick the winners the next day and email the winners. Please check your email... winners must reply to me within 3 days...

Thank you so much Michelle for sending me the review copy of Cleopatra's Daughter! And for the wonderful giveaway to the Chick with Books readers!

Good luck everyone!

Giveaway: The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession by Allison Hoover Bartlett

How Much Do You Love a Good Book?

CONGRATS to Jennifer (a.k.a. Knittingmomof3)! Thanks everyone for joining in on the fun and entering the giveaway! Plus thanks to everyone who shared what book they would steal! The list of books is up! Here's the LINK to the post of all the books worth "stealing"! Leave a comment and add to the list too!

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession by Allison Hoover Bartlett is an adventure for all of us who love books! For those of us who love not just what's inside them, but the heft of them in our hands, the sensation of the texture of the pages as we turn them, the beauty of the book itself...

This story takes us into the lives of John Gilkey, an obsessed & bold book thief, Ken Sanders the man who made it his mission to catch Gilkey, and the journalist and author, Allison Hoover Bartlett, who explores the world of rare & beautiful books with the people who sell & collect them, including Sanders AND Gilkey.

In the opening of the book, a 400 yr. old book called a Kreuterbuch sits on Allison Hoover Bartlett's desk. I love old books, and just the way Allison described the Kreuterbuch in the prologue, "the pages, when turned, make a muffled crack... a dry woody smell..." I knew this would be a different kind of 'book thief' story. A book written by a person who truly appreciates & enjoys books - and not just for what's inside!

This particular Kreuterbuch (plant book) was found in the belongings of the deceased brother of a friend with a note attached to it explaining that it was 'accidentally' never returned to the college library it was borrowed from and asking for someone please return it. The book intrigued Allison and she decided to find its rightful owner. But that's only where the story starts- not one library would claim it... and as she searched the internet about stolen rare books, she found nothing about the Kreuterbuch, but found "story after riveting story of theft... thieves who were scholars, thieves who were clergymen, thieves who stole for profit.. and smitten thieves who stole purely for the love of books." One name that came popping up in her research was Ken Sanders, a rare book dealer, and John Gilkey, who was "one of the most successful thieves in recent years". Allison managed to befriend both men and gain amazing insight into what motivated each of them - Gilkey to steal & Sanders to hunt him down. But she doesn't stop at the relationship between Gilkey & Sanders, and the individual men themselves, she also does a wonderful job researching book collecting & theft thru the ages and writes about it in an entertaining and intriguing way. If books interest you, you will be glued to the pages reading about Don Vincente a nineteenth century monk who stole from his cloister and how his obsession lead to the murder of 9 men, or about the hidden beautiful paintings on the edge of a book called a fore-edge painting... many great stories and notes in the back of the book for reference to her research.

"Bartlett looks at the history of book passion, collection, and theft through the ages, to examine the craving that makes some people willing to stop at nothing to possess the books they love."

Allison is a wonderful writer, and The Man Who Loved Books Too Much was such an enjoyable and interesting read. If you love books, you should pick this book up! But I have a special surprise! Courtesy of Lydia of G.P. Putnam's Sons/ Riverhead I am having a giveaway to coincide with the release date of The Man Who Loved Books Too Much! I have one copy to give away BUT The Giveaway will only run 1 WEEK! Release date for the book is Sept. 17th and this Giveaway will end midnight on Sept.16th! So tell all your bookish friends and enter...

To Enter this Giveaway...

*To enter leave me a comment with your email address!

*For another entry Blog or Tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link.

*For another entry, tell me what book you would steal if you were a thief! (we all love books, so don't be shy!)

This Giveaway is open to U.S. residents ONLY, (No P.O. Boxes, please) Contest ends 11:59 pm EST on Sept. 16th. I'll randomly pick the winner the next day and email that person. Please check your email... winner must reply to me within 3 days...

Hey, would you like to read an excerpt? Here's the link on Allison's website! And you can read more about Allison there too!

Good luck everyone!

*P.S. This Book Will Be Kindle Ready!

Imagine Your Life Without Fear... Fearless by Max Lucado

Can you Imagine Your Life Without Fear?

Each sunrise seems to bring fresh reasons for fear...

They're talking layoffs at work, slowdowns in the economy, flare-ups in the Middle East, turnovers at headquarters, downturns in the housing market, upswings in global warming. The plague of our day, terrorism, begins with the word terror. Fear, it seems, has taken up a hundred-year lease on the building next door and set up shop. Oversized and rude, fear herds us into a prison of unlocked doors. Wouldn't it be great to walk out?

Imagine your life, wholly untouched by angst. What if faith, not fear, was your default reaction to threats? If you could hover a fear magnet over your heart and extract every last shaving of dread, insecurity, or doubt, what would remain? Envision a day, just one day, where you could trust more and fear less.

Can you imagine your life without fear?

Max Lucado is a best-selling Christian author and minister of writing and preaching at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas. He has written more than 50 books with 28 million copies in print. In his own words, " I wrote a book on fear because fear is everywhere..." and that is what the basis of Fearless is about. But not just a book about fear, but how to overcome it. Max Lucado believes "Fear is an option and Faith is a better choice." And though the book is based in principles found in the Christian faith, people of all religious beliefs can find comfort in the pages of this book. With stories to inspire you to look at your fears and overcome them, Mr. Lucado describes the most common reasons for fear: The fear of not mattering, the fear of disappointing God, The fear of running out of luck,time,etc.., fear for your children, fear of overwhelming challenges, fear of worst-case scenarios, fear of violence, fear of dying, & fear of global calamity. With amazing insight Max Lucado gets to the heart of the fears that holds us back and with references to passages in the Bible as well as some nuggets of common sense, he lays down eight "worry-stoppers" to help us : Pray first, Slow down (don't create a catastrophe where one doesn't exist), Act on it - treat frets like mosquitos, Compile a worry list, Evaluate your worry, Focus on today, Share your feelings, and let God be enough. Though I've listed these "worry-stoppers", the true meaning behind them lies in the words that follow them in the book.

The chapters of the book are arranged so that you can easily look for guidance for a particular issue you may be dealing with. The stories within the chapters are contemporary, relevant and interesting. In the back of the book is a discussion guide for each chapter. This guide can be for a reading group or yourself, as a way to clarify what was in the chapter. Mr. Lucado's writing style is easy to read with a sincerity that shines thru every paragraph. I found Fearless to be inspiring and an enjoyable read. A thought provoking book with a message most people can relate to.

Would you like to read a excerpt? You can find an excerpt of chapter one HERE! And Mr. Lucado has a Q & A video about Fearless on YouTube HERE! Max Lucado has declared war on Fear at a town hall- you can watch & listen to the video of that HERE! So, if you need some encouragement or know someone who does, Max Lucado's book Fear can be found in bookstores today! And thank you to Thomas Nelson publishers for sending this book my way!

*P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!

The Sunday Salon... "Books with Buzz"

What is the Sunday Salon? Imagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them, and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake...

It's been an interesting week, with a special giveaway underway courtesy of the author Allyson Roy for a signed copy of the book Babydoll and the wrap-up of the giveaway for a copy of Up For Renewal by Cathy Alter.... And there have been some interesting books I've seen in my travels this week (not to mention a few nice surprises in my mailbox!)...

If you love books, not just the inside of them but the whole "experience" of having a book in your hand,the beauty of the cover, the feel of the paper as you turn the pages, there's going to be another special giveaway this week for a copy of an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) for The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession by Allison Hoover Bartlett. "Rare-book theft is even more widespread than fine-art theft. Most thieves, of course, steal for profit. John Charles Gilkey steals purely for the love of books. In an attempt to understand him better, journalist Allison Hoover Bartlett plunged herself into the world of book lust and discovered just how dangerous it can be." A book written by someone who really loves books! Read the review and enter the giveaway this wednesday! But hurry- this giveaway is running only one week! The end of the giveaway coincides with the release date of the book to the public the next day...

Another interesting book I came across this week is Voices of the Desert by Nelida Pinon. "From one of Brazil’s most beloved writers, a magical tale of lust, power, betrayal, and forgiveness set in the royal court of thirteenth-century Baghdad: a sumptuous retelling of the legend of Scheherazade that illuminates her character as never before..." We are all familiar with The One Thousand and One Night tales, and we know Scheherazade is the heroine of the story, but not much more is written about her. Voices of the Desert tells us the story of The One Thousand and One Night's from Scheherazade's perspective, alluding to her heroism for saving 1001 virgins that would have died had she not kept her 'husband' enthralled with her tales... this is what attracted me to the book, how the author takes this well known tale and puts life into the characters that take part in the story- not just the stories. I can't wait to read it!

A book with a lot of buzz around it recently is The Sound of Water by Sanjay Bahadur. This book was longlisted for the Man AsianPrize, (A literary prize designed for works created in Asia), and "provides an agonizing 360-degree account of an Indian mining disaster as seen from three perspectives: an old miner struggling to save himself and his coworkers hundreds of feet below the surface of the earth as water threatens to drown them; the company and government officials charged with managing the rescue efforts; and the miners' families anxiously awaiting word of survival or death..." The author, Sanjay Bahadur, is the former director of the Indian Ministry of Coal which lends quite a bit of authenticity to what he is writing about. How the author creates a full picture of an awful mining disaster thru the eyes of the victims, bureaucrats and the families involved sounds like an incredible task to take on, but to also give us an honest look of the conditions these miners must endure is truly amazing. I think we'll be hearing more about this book...

And finally one more book to check out before you turn the page... Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder. "Strength in What Remains is a wonderfully written, inspiring account of one man’s remarkable American journey and of the ordinary people who helped him–a brilliant testament to the power of will and of second chances. Deo arrives in America from Burundi in search of a new life. Having survived a civil war and genocide, plagued by horrific dreams, he lands at JFK airport with two hundred dollars, no English, and no contacts. He ekes out a precarious existence delivering groceries, living in Central Park, and learning English by reading dictionaries in bookstores..." And eventually overcomes all these obstacles to become a doctor! If this weren't true it would be hard to believe! An incredible true tale written like an adventure story! We are given a glimpse into the life & struggles of an immigrant as he overcomes incredible odds to survive and thrive.

Hope I've peaked your interest a little here! In the meantime, what are you cracking the spine on this week?! Let me know what books grabbed ahold of you this week! Remember to stop by this week to enter the giveaway for The Man Who Loved Books Too Much! There will be other reviews up this week too! And the short list for the BBAW awards (Book Bloggers Appreciation Week) will be announced too! I'll let you know what's going on there and how you can vote for your favorite blogs!

*P.S. Japanese Literature Update... I just picked up Strangers by Taichi Yamada thanks to a recommendation by Gnoe of Graasland, who is also participating in the Challenge. Thanks for sharing this with me- it looks wonderful! And look for a review in the future for Strangers!

Happy reading... Suzanne